Mealplan for the Week Ahead

In my continuous effort to stay on track, I've already come up with a simple mealplan for next week. I've lost 5 lbs in the last two weeks and have really focused more on eating healthier. The 3 Day Refresh really helped get me back to thinking about what I was eating daily. In order for me to continue losing I have to follow a meal plan and follow the schedule to a workout program. I will also prep most of my foods on Sunday. I'm gonna eat cake sometimes and maybe even some other foods that are not so healthy but as long as I only do so 1 or 2 times a week and continue to follow my program, I should be ok.

Although I own quite a few workout programs, I have to fully commit to one for at least 4 weeks so I will be deciding who it will be. I'm torn between Insanity, Insanity MAX 30, or 21 Day Fix Extreme. I find that  I push myself wayyyy more when the program is challenging and right now I need a good pushin. I may go back to my first love... Insanity. I will figure it out by Sunday night. Having the mealplan done today will give me a chance to do any last minute shopping tomorrow. I will post instructions for both green smoothie and shakeology Monday or Tuesday. 

So in case you would like a simple mealplan, here is the one I will be following likely for 2 weeks. 

7 Day Detox Challenge

I have so much to update and I will this week. September came and blew me away. I was so busy with the kids new schedule that I lost track of my own schedule. However, I have been maintaining my morning workouts and eating fairly well.  

This is whats up this week! Hope you can join now or set a date to do this in the future.

Any questions?? Feel free to message me.

Here is a mealplan you can try. Ive used it before with success.

Talk with you soon!!!

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Week 1- Starting Weight, Pics, Workout and Mealplan

Im keeping this short and sweet.

This is officially week 1 of my Choose to Lose Challenge Group. 

-I am just as committed as the ladies who joined to regaining control and losing weight.
-My goal is to lose 10 lbs by the end of this challenge and lose 3 inches off my waist.
-I will be doing CIZE in the mornings this week. I also plan to workout 2 times a week with my husband doing Body Beast.

-I got on the scale yesterday morning 8/30/15 and weighed in at 192 lbs.
      Even though I am more toned and slimmer than I was in my "fat days," I am my highest weight ever, aside from being pregnant. I gained this summer due to not making the best food selections while out vacationing, celebrating and having fun. Then on top of that, 8 weeks ago I was put on a new higher dose birth control pill. Twice the amount of hormones than I was on before.

Not happy with the extra weight, but oh well. Time to stop talking about it and get serious and take it off.

-Here is my meal plan. I will be following the Eat Up CIZE mealplan and using the Portion Fix Color Coded Containers.

-Here are my before pics taken today. I was actually liking the size and shape of my thighs and butt this summer but having bigger thighs/butt has its own set of problems. I will go more into that on Wednesdays post. But for now, my focus is own being comfortable in my jeans and these thighs didnt make the cut.

If you would like to join us, complete this form for more info on the Choose to Lose Challenge.

Anniversary Weekend and New Challenge

Happy Anniversary!!

I celebrated my 13 year wedding anniversary last weekend. We had a blast. Honestly, at this point in our lives, the best gift we could give each other is time. Thankfully, we had a close relative who volunteered to keep the kids 3 nights. Time is so precious and having the time to just enjoy dinner without rushing to get kids or rushing to drop kids off to make a reservation felt so good. Sometimes as parents we get caught up and used to enjoying a little time here and there that we almost forget what it feels like to be kid free for 24 hours- let alone 72 hours. I am so happy that we have learned to balance our time while pursuing our goals.

We spent a lot of time together and a lot of time eating.

Friday evening, we went to a special fondue restaurant called Geja's that I love. No electronic devices allowed so it forces conversation since you are unplugged and you are not bothered by people trying to get the perfect selfie while reaching and leaning all in your space. But, what I really like about this restaurant (aside from the food) is that the lighting is low and the tables feel so private. Kinda makes you feel like you are in your own little world for a couple hours.

Saturday morning, first thing, we went jogging/walking along the lake front. (I didn't want to get too fat celebrating. My metabolism is not what it used to be.) It was nice and I really didn't count miles but I logged into MapMyRun and I believe we went just over 3 miles. Nice time and perfect weather.

Movies!! Later Saturday morning we went to see Straight Outta Compton. Loved it!!! It was so real and authentic and it took me back. Made me remember when people started calling this rap music bad etc... Made me reflect on injustices that people of color have had to deal with through the years. But even showed how its important to have your own business, read contracts and be in control of your money.  I would see Straight Outta Compton again and again.

We then had a midday dessert at Kilwins, a fudge shop. Lastly, dinner was scallops and veggies we prepared at home.

Then came Sunday-
Sunday (Food and Shopping)
Breakfast- pancake restaurant.
Snacks- Fresh donuts at a small donut shop.
Dinner we had burgers and fries at a burger joint.   

Unless we are on vacation, I dont eat out too much. But, this weekend

  I ate out 5 times and each time I acted like it was my last meal.

Sometimes despite what I know, I just go all in and just have to deal with the aftermath later. I know when to stop and how to regain control. When eating lots of sugar and refined foods it takes a few days for my body to calm down.

Needless to say, I have struggled this week with containing my cravings for sugar and carbs.  But, I am getting on the scale and taking measurements, this Friday and every Friday from here on out. I will be posting a weekly progress post to hold myself accountable. Skinny jeans are coming and I want to feel confident in them next month.

Cize- Week 1 Review!!!

Im in LOVE!!!! 

The program is so much fun! I don't like cardio but I love cardio when I am dancing to music.
Shaun T breaks the dance moves down throughout the workout, giving you time to work up a sweat while learning the moves. It took my daughter and I til the 2nd or 3rd workout to have Crazy 8s down pact.

The first 30 minutes or so, you will spend learning the moves. You get a water break. Then during the last 4 minutes, its time to put the moves together with songs from Missy Elliot, Destiny's Child, Ariana Grande, LLCoolJ and more. It took my daughter and I til the 3rd workout to have Crazy 8s down pact.

Lots of energy. Lots of fun! Lots of fat burning!

Here's what you need to know.

~I was sore. The dancing worked my muscles in an entirely different way that I am used to. So the first few days, my body was sore. I should have had my Results and Recovery formula to help my body recover after that workout but I didnt. Because in my mind, Im always gonna be alright.

~I have a hurt knee. My knee problems go back 15 years, so I did modify. On the move "Trip," I did not jump while kicking. I kept my left foot planted and did more of a step/kick with my right leg.

~You will learn it. Even if you dont know how to dance, trust me, you will get it by the end of the week.  You will also be tempted to CIZE IT UP several times after your workout.   

~It doesnt have to be PERFECT. Have fun and put your own personality into it!!

 Here is a video of the routine "Crazy 8's"

 that you will learn in Week 1!!

Forgive me.... For my last workout the lighting was horrible!!!
Gonna add another one soon.

Im a Heavy Girl

I cant believe I just said that but....

Im 190 lbs!

There- I said it.

There were quite a few people who guessed that I was around the 140-150 lbs range. But it seemed, as time went on, as more ladies with similar body types took a good look, the estimates got closer or right on the money. At this weight, I generally wear a size 10 in jeans and M tops.

I have always kept my weight a secret because Ive always been heavier. Throughout highschool, I always weighed about 20 lbs more than my friends, even if we wore the same size. My friends would be 120-135 meanwhile, Im 145-155.  For the friends who had a clue, they couldnt understand why and how.  As an adult, when I would go to my yearly physicals at the doctors office, if the triage nurse had a manual scale, she never would start it at the 150 mark. Then she would make a comment like, "oh I didnt expect you to be that heavy."

Kidding. But really, Hahaha

Being a Slim heavy-weight gave me a complex.

So, being heavier has never been something I was proud of. I am learning though to accept it. I build muscle easily. I had more of an athletic build in my 20s. I naturally have broad shoulders and a fat behind. But particularly after having children and getting older I suppose, my body weight settles more in the lower region. I'm a pear or an endomorph body type.

Even if I go into beast mode and work my butt off to lose x amount of weight or build x amount of muscle, I will never look long and lean.  Thats NOT my body. I will likely look sick and unhealthy. The comparison game stops here.

So Im losing the mindset thats been holding me back.  Im no longer afraid to share that Im 

heavier than most my size.

My goal is to transform my own round and curvy body into the best it can be. 

What goals do you have for your body?

Guess My Weight!!!!

Guess What???
I wont tell. Not yet anyways.

Ive decided to share my weight publicly and this is a HUGE Deal for me! I just gave my husband a clue last year (hes asked a few times). He hasnt known my weight since the birth of the twins in almost 8 years ago, lol.

I dont make a Huge deal over weight, namely because I feel that if my clothing fit comfortably and if I feel confident in what I have on, I dont care.

Truth of the matter is...

I Hate to look at the scale.

And the scale Hates me Back!

But, it seems to me after all my hard work this year, my waistline is trying to get a little thicker and Im not having it. Its not even the love handle fat. Its more like, the pregnant look (Not!) 

Here's to an Awesome August!

This month is a busy month for me and my family.

-My husband and I will be celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary. We will be recreating our wedding pics.

-Ive taken away my kids tablets/phones/laptop for 2 weeks. I felt they were losing brain cells! Hahaha. So that means more activities to keep them busy and challenged.

-Family Reunion in Memphis.

-We have a family fitness/health challenge. 30 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of reading daily.

-Back to school shopping. Blah!

-Lunch dates with a couple girlfriends.

-Dance every morning.

-End of Summer Party

Monday Motivation- Start Living Your Life Fearlessly

A few ways to live your life more fully and fearless this week. 

Trust yourself you know more than you think you do. 

ELIMINATE your Excuses now and Visualize your SUCCESS daily.  

Allow yourself to dream Bigger than before and Forget about what others have to say. Whatever they have to say is more about them than you anyway.  

 Take a risk and step out of your comfort zone every single day.    

Believe in yourself a little more today and Celebrate your success. 

Have a Beautiful Week!!!

July Goals!!!

Hey there!!!
I am gonna change up the format of this blog a bit and I hope you will enjoy the changes. This week, I will spend catching you up with whats new and whats happened (the good, the bad and the ugly) the last 6 weeks. And of course, I will be providing fitness tips, recipes, inspiration and motivation for you and your family! 

Although I share a lot of fitness advice, fitness is just not physical. You need mental and emotional clarity too. When your life is in balance, everything feels good.

On my personal agenda this month...

• Getting kids more active outside (bike riding and running 2x a week)
• Juicing/Vegan 1 day a week
• Try 4-6 new recipes
• Read 1 new book
• Start back studying Spanish
• Organize paperwork 
• Share my weight loss pics/measurements
• Blog 3-5 Times a week
• Business statements for first half of year
• Workout every morning during week (Insanity Max 30)
• Schedule Book signing events
• Help 5 women lose 10 pounds
• Make anniversary plans (13 years!)
• Surround myself with more positive people
• Make and stick to a ToDo List everyday!!!

Sometimes you just gotta write it all out. Then you can really see where you are going!!! 

Hope you are enjoying your summer so far! 

What do you have planned for July??

Gallon of Water a Day Challenge

On top of my other goals, I am adding this.....

                          Would you please join me???

I recently read an older article of a lady who drank a gallon of water a day and might I say I was super impressed! Her results were honestly what we all would probably expect. But nontheless, its SUPER IMPRESSIVE and I was sincerely INSPIRED! And the best thing to do when you are inspired is to ACT! 

And listen, I know her story could have been fake and her afters could look better simply because of lighting and/or makeup. But, it sure would help me with my goals of losing 10 pounds this month and having clearer skin if I upped my water intake, Thats For Sure!!! I may not have mentioned it But I have a wedding dress to get into in less than 2 months. So, its time to quit playing!!!

April 13-May 9th---- 1 gallon of water a day.

In addition, I am also cutting out alcohol and eating way more cleaner than last month! 

POOF 10 lbs!

(Claiming it!)

Expect to see changes in your digestion, weight, skin and MORE!

Comment below if you are in.  I will do updates every Friday and if you like check in here on Fridays and let me know how you are doing. 

How to Boost Your Metabolism

I'm guilty!!

I was one of those that blamed my weight gain on my metabolism. 

After my twins turned 2, I felt like they literally sucked the life out of me and 

I believed that my metabolism was making me fat.

Here's the truth though. We are, for the most part, in CONTROL of our metabolism.  Think of your Metabolism as a Furnace for your body.  A literal furnace needs a constant supply of  gas or oil to burn and keep your home warm.  Your METABOLISM (your body's furnace) needs a supply of food/calories to continue to burn and fuel your body.  Make sense??

You and I can literally transform our metabolism by learning how to fuel it!!! Yay!!!

Now Here are a few ways you can do this.

Fall in Love with Strength Traning-  Build Muscle. Incorporate some form of strength training into your weekly program. Most of Beachbodys program implement strength training, whether it be by the use of resistance bands, dumbbells or your body weight.  Great examples are Focus T25, PiYo, Body Beast or 21 Day Fix Extreme. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn everyday.

EAT!!!!  EAT REGULARLY!!!!  Not eating enough slows your metabolism.  You push your body into starvation mode forcing it to slow down everything including digestion and metabolism. Learn how many calories you should be getting in for your activity level and eat. But not all at once.  Im sure you have heard of eating 5-6 small meals a day.  Here is the logic.  Your furnace needs to be fed enough to keep burning. What happens to a fire when there is no more wood to burn.... it simmers and dies.  So feed your body regularly foods that will nourish you.  My top choices- Veggies, Fruits, Shakeology, Nuts and Seeds, Complex Carbs like Quinoa.

Do Less Cardio. YES!!! Im no cardio fan but I love to get in a good balance of it to boost my endurance and for heart health.  Plus, when it gets warm, I enjoy a brisk walk or jog along the lakefront. But what's necessary to boost your metabolism is a slightly different cardio.  HIIT workouts like Insanity Max 30 and 21 Day Fix Extreme and TurboFire are perfect HIIT workouts.  HIIT workouts are High Intensity Interval Training workouts. This means you do a short burst of High intensity/Max effort cardio followed by a lower intensity rest interval....My kinda workout!! And what has been recently discovered about HIIT workouts is they burn calories during your workout and in the hours afterwards. 

 LASTLY.........

Go To Sleep.Sleep at least 6-8 hours each night. When you are tired, your body does not operate at its best. And the Chain Reaction begins. Your body stresses itself to complete simple tasks.  Then, you start to release that stress hormone "cortisol." Cortisol makes you hungry. Most reach for a high carb snack. But, since you are tired, your body has trouble metabolizing carbs, which then spikes your blood sugar.  The spike in blood sugar causes an increase in insulin, which then tells the body to store any excess calories as fat. 

And OMG who wants that.  Id MUCH rather go to sleep.

Hope this helps. For more tips, be sure to subscribe and 

make me your FREE Beachbody Coach by clicking HERE

Vegetarian Mealplan for The Week

Ive been easing off of meat for the last few weeks. I am not going completely vegetarian but I want to eat less meats during the week and focus more on having fresh fruits and making vegetables the main course at dinner.  This will also help me lose the 20 lbs that I would like to drop by the end of May.

Here is my mealplan for the week. I am also working out daily- 6 miles Monday- Friday on my stationary bike and then Body Beast every evening. Im in the Bulk Phase. That being said, if there is anytime, where I feel like I need more food, I will increase my intake of protein.

Make it a Great Week!!

How to Make a Basic Homemade Granola

This is a simple granola recipe that I learned to make at the beginning of my weight loss journey. Its a good recipe to use especially if you are just beginning your journey and just starting to experiment more in the kitchen.
I will share a lighter version of this recipe pretty soon.  Until then, Enjoy!

Homeade Granola

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup of chopped almonds or preferred nut

1 cup of raisins or cranberries

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of honey

coconut oil

~Preheat oven at 350. Make sure your hands are CLEAN. They should always be clean when cooking, but this recipe calls for using your hands. 

~Grease the cookie sheet or pan with coconut oil.

~Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them very well, making sure to coat all oats with honey.  If you must, add a little more honey at your discretion.

~Then, flatten the mixture onto  the pan and bake for anywhere between 15-20 minutes. 

~Allow to cool. Then, cut into bars or crunch up for cereal or to use as a topping.

I crumbled all of the granola up for a quick handy snack.

Also makes a great cold cereal. Just add milk.

****If you like for the granola to be a little more crunchy, do the whole 20 minutes. More chewy, do the 15 minutes.****

Fit Honey

How to Make Overnight Oatmeal- Apple Peanut Butter Oats

I honestly didn't know for sure if I would enjoy these oats. I like oatmeal, so I figured it would taste ok. But I am really lovin these oats and if my husband doesn't get home quick and eat his, I may have them for lunch too.

They are super easy to make. I don't think you can mess this one up and you can probably make it today with what you have at home. On top of all this, they are convenient. Make it at night in a portable container and walk out the door with breakfast. I don't have to leave out, but its still super convenient for me. And this recipe tastes almost like dessert. I'm anxious to try other recipes too.

Here is the recipe I tried last night.

Apple Peanut Butter Oats

1 cup oatmeal (I used Old Fashioned Whole Grain Oats)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (You can use other milk or water)
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Honey (You can add more to taste)
chopped apples and pecans (optional toppings)
1 Jar or container with lid

Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Milk/Vanilla, Oatmeal

Mix the milk, Vanilla Extract and the Cinnamon in the jar.
Next, mix in the Oatmeal and the honey.
Lastly, mix in the peanut butter. Mix it in really well.

Then close the jar and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, stir and add optional toppings. I added chopped apple and pecans.

Oats right out of the fridge

And Tada!!! Thats it!

Wake up and Enjoy! I did!

Have you tried Overnight Oats??

Overnight Oats with Apples and Pecans

Going Raw- Raw Food Diet

I am running a 3 Day Raw Food Challenge on my Facebook page starting tomorrow Feb 2nd. As excited as I am to start this plan tomorrow, I have an even bigger challenge at hand.  I've decided to become completely focused on my health and fitness goals for the next 100 days. Documenting everything- weigh ins, food, family meal, exercise, and more.

3 Day Facebook Challenge

Here's the crazy part, My husband is in training mode too and he challenged me on top of my current challenge. He challenged me to 12 weeks of Raw Food. I froze in silence first. But of course, I wouldn't be me without a negotiation. 

So here's the Final Deal, 2 Weeks Raw and 1 Week off, 2 Weeks Raw and 1 week off.... Starting February 2nd.  Now the off week, doesn't mean, "Go crazy." It just means, I will eat animal products like eggs, seafood, cheese, steaks, poultry, etc. I enjoy eating those foods, so I didn't want to cut them out of my life completely for 12 weeks.

Going 12 weeks will also force me to try more foods and experiment with other recipes. I can handle 3 days of eating the same thing everyday but 3 months, Nah.

So.....

What is The Raw Food Diet?

In its most basic form its eating uncooked foods. It means loading up on uncooked and unprocessed....

Fruits

Veggies

Sprouted Grains

Seeds

Nuts

Beans

The idea behind this is that when we cook our foods, we kill a lot of the nutrients they contain. I am going raw until dinner because I enjoy warm food. There are actually some perks to cooking your foods but I will get into that later. For Raw foods, you can use blenders, food processors or dehydrators to prepare food as long as you don't cook it over 118 degrees.

When I look at my current diet, I realized that I do eat about 45-60% raw somedays. But, that is mainly because I prefer fruit for breakfast during the week and a shake at lunch. Snacks and dinner are another story so I know that I will have to get my skills up in the kitchen. I will be saving my meals and posting them this week.

This is all new to me but its a challenge that I've accepted! Tomorrow marks DAY 1!

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Would love your support 

7 Reasons You Should Drink Lemon Water Daily

7 Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water Daily

1. Boosts your mood- Lemon water in the morning can give you an instant boost of energy and put you in a good mood to start your day.

2. Helps you to lose weight- Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight cravings.  The pectin fiber is also good for your the health of your colon. And the lemon helps balance your body's pH.

3. Aids Digestion-  Having warm lemon juice in the morning helps flush out toxins from the digestive tract. And encourages the live to produce digestive juices (bile). And when your digestive system is in check, you have less heartburn and constipation.

4. Boosts your immune system- Lemons are high in Vitamin C and

 potassium.  Great for fighting colds, the flu and sore throat. They 

also play a part in stimulating brain and nerve function.

5. Antibacterial- It works to prevent growth of pathogenic bacteria to reduce infections and diseases. It also freshens your breath by fighting the bacteria in your mouth.

6. Reduces pain and inflammation- Lemons have the ability to remove uric acid from your joints and knees. Uric acid built-ups are one of the major causes of inflammation

7. Hydrates your body and your skin- When your body is not hydrated, it cannot perform necessary functions properly. This can mean toxic buildup which damages your body and is no good for your skin. For many people, including myself, adding lemon to my water encourages me to drink enough all day long- preventing dehydration.

Thank you for reading!

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Meal Plan Monday

 Meal Plan For The Week

This is basically the meal plan I will follow this week. I know, I know. Its only a mealplan for 1 day. I will follow this as a guide and swap out where necessary. But yea, I will basically eat the same kinds of food everyday this week.  I have a busy week this week and the simpler the better.

 Its not a perfect but it does fall within the Nutrition to the Max guidelines from Insanity Max:30 program. 

Daily Goals

4 Veggies/ 3 Fruits/ 4 Proteins/ 2 Carbs/ 1 Healthy Fat/ 1 Seed or Dressing/ 2 Oils or Nut Butters 

10 ounces of Warm Lemon Water every morning

80 ounces of water per day 

30 minutes of Exercise

Breakfast

Pineapple 1C

Greek Yogurt 3/4C

Lunch

Chocolate Shakeology

Blueberries 1C

Snack

Grapefruit

10 almonds

Dinner

Warm Salad

Spinach 1C

Lettuce 1C

Brocolli 1/2 C

Peppers 1/4C

Egg 1 boiled

Ground turkey or Chicken Breast 3/4c

Mozzarella  1/8C (optional)

Black Beans (1/2c optional)

Night Snack

Fruit

Tea

Hope this helps you plan out your meals for this week. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Comment below and let me know 

what you are planning to have this week.

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