Progress Report

This last week has been really great for me personally. I have done a pretty good job of staying within my daily 1400-1600 net calorie goal with a few minor slip ups here and there. I mentioned a few weeks ago when I started, that I took some before pics so that I could measure my progress visually. Well, I am pleased to say that there has been a definite improvement in the last four weeks! I still have a ways to go before I will be comfortable at the beach this year, but seeing a difference in a side by side comparison was just the motivation I needed to keep going. I am so excited to see what the next four weeks will bring! I have also seen a big difference in the way my clothes fit and that has been rewarding as well :)

I also wanted to share a personal revelation with you. It's something that I have heard said many times, but it didn't really sink in until recently. I have been so concerned with the number on the scale for the last five years, but over the last month it has become less and less important to me. In fact, after seeing that number start to climb when I began working out, I have barely checked it. I used to control it by diet only and it was very difficult. If it went up only two pounds I could actually see it on my figure, but now that I am controlling my size with exercise as well, the fluctuation on the scale is not indicative of how my clothes will fit that day. My body is able to handle the occasional slip ups that come along because of the muscle that I have been working so hard to build. I have really enjoyed doing the cardio and ab workouts from P90X as well as the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred when I am in a time crunch. I have noticed that the more I work out, the more I crave it and that is an exciting thing to experience :) Tomorrow I am actually planning a double workout with two different girlfriends and I am really excited about that. Cardio at 5:45am followed by my first TRX class at 9:30... It will be a challenge, but I am really looking forward to it :)

I also wanted to say 'thank you' to all of my friends who have let me know that you read my blog, it has been very motivating and you have all been a part of my success so far, so thank you very much :)

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A Breakfast of Champions

Have I ever told you about my go to breakfast shake? Well, if you are a part of the unfortunate, unenlightened few, then today is your lucky day :)

I absolutely adore chocolate... And peanut butter... And coffee. No apologies, no excuses, it's just the way it is. So when I got the opportunity to combine my three favorite food groups into one mouth watering, filling and nutritious breakfast shake for around 300 calories, I was slightly overjoyed.

I cannot take full credit for this recipe as I got the technique while attending a gluten and dairy free cooking class by a wonderful local foodie named Amy Grady. She is also the author of the blog At My Kitchen Table. (please check it out, she is amazing!)

The creamy base for this (not) milkshake is, drumroll please... A banana. It lends an amazingly smooth, thick, and creamy texture as well as a delightful mild banana flavor. I have made this for quite a few friends and they all agree, it's D-lish!

Peanut Butter Mocha Breakfast Shake:

• 1 tsp instant coffee (or shot of espresso, or instant espresso powder)
• 1 heaping tsp cocoa powder
• 1 packet Stevia in the Raw
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 12-14 ice cubes
• 2 tbsp creamy, natural peanut butter
• 1 banana, peeled
• 8 oz cold water

Combine the first 4 ingredients in your blender and blend on low for 15 seconds or so to combine.

Add the remaining ingredients and pulse a few times to break up the ice, turn your blender to high and let 'er rip until you have a rich creamy shake! (Mine usually takes 45 seconds to a minute.)

This recipe could easily serve two at only 150 calories each. (but honestly, I am a little greedy and keep it all for myself, don't tell though.)

I have also tweaked this recipe and made ice cream in my ice cream maker... Yeah, it's pretty awesome ;) I will get to that when the weather warms up a little :)

Enjoy! Please leave me some feedback and thanks for reading!

 

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Easy Weeknight Meal Fit For A Dinner Party

I don't know about you, but pasta speaks to my soul. This butternut squash ravioli with a tomato sage sauce and roasted asparagus is just the thing I need when I am short on time, but craving big flavor. I get a major boost in ease by using pre-made, certified vegan, butternut squash ravioli that I picked up in the natural foods department at a local grocery store. It is seasoned perfectly, and other than the fact that it is not made with whole wheat pasta, I have absolutely no complaints.

The sauce recipe that I used is slightly modified from the one here, I just made an, ahem, improvement or two :) Believe me when I say that you could serve this to any omnivore and they would rave about it! It's that good!

So how did this deliciousness come to be? Read on my friends...

What you need:

• 2 8oz packages Rising Moon Organics Butternut Squash Ravioli
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 lg cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
• 5 lg (or 7 small) Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 tsp chopped fresh sage
• salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 and wash, trim and pat the asparagus dry.

Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder to taste. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus.

Meanwhile, Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook ravioli according to the package directions.

Once the ravioli is cooking, heat 1-2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sage, stirring for another minute or two. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve over the ravioli and asparagus and enjoy!

 

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Family Trip to Seattle

Our trip to Seattle last weekend started off on the right foot with me turning down a fast food lunch and opting instead for packing the kiddos and I some Pb&Js, bananas and Kashi cereal bars... That's where things started to go downhill... After a long car ride we said hello to my maternal grandparent's and then headed out to Red Robin for some food. The vegan options are not great there do I settled on the chophouse burger with a garden burger patty. Although I stuck to my vegetarian guns, I'm pretty sure I consumed every single last calorie allotted for me that day and then some in one sitting :/ Following dinner, we put the munchkins to bed and set out to have drinks with my long-lost cousin and his girlfriend. We had a great time catching up while visiting a couple local pubs and I consumed a coffee and Bailey's, a screwdriver AND a chocolate waffle topped with ice cream. Hey, it's vegetarian right? ;) Anyhow, the next day proved equally challenging when we met up with my Aunt Beki at Olive Garden and I ordered the soup, salad and breadsticks with minestrone soup. And as soon as I tasted my soup, I got to thinking... "Hmm, Is this soup made with a vegetable stock or chicken stock base?" And honestly, I haven't taken the time to find out because of what happened next... (Well, after the grande soy mocha from Starbucks)... We headed over to my other grandparent's house where my grandmother had prepared a lovely spread consisting of a roast, pasta salad, roasted veggies, rolls and fruit salad. I dished up my plate with all but the roast and scarfed it down lickety split only to discover that the veggies were prepared with the roast in a crockpot. So, I inadvertently consumed an animal... Oopsy :(
Well, after that we went out for drinks in Seattle's Fremont District where I yet again fell prey to the callings of a coffee and Bailey's. Then it was Sunday. By this point I saw absolutely no value in tracking what I was eating or staying within any sort of guideline other than staying vegetarian. Cue breakfast... Josh's mom and grandparents happend to be in Puyallup for a quilting show so we met up with them at a diner and I had a veggie omelet with hash browns and toast which filled me up about half way through, and did I stop? Absolutely not, are you kidding?! There was too much goodness to pass it up! From there we hit Seattle for a day of fun which included the Giant Wheel, Pike Place Market and an enormous vegan chocolate chip cookie, a veggie black bean burger and fries, and ended with a trip to climb on the huge troll residing under the Aurora Bridge back in the Fremont District. Then it came... the last day. On Monday I decided to make an attempt to be somewhat cognizant of my calorie consumption and started the day with some Pb&J toast while anticipating a veggie lasagna that my grandma told me she had bought just for me :) And in all honesty, it was d-lish! Just one little problem... It was basically an Alfredo dish layered with lasagna noodles and some carrots and broccoli tossed in. Definitely not allowed to label this a healthy choice... And, I had TWO helpings! :/ The drive home that evening served me a veggie sandwich and some Greek orzo pasta from Safeway for dinner. (I'm trying to forget about the other giant chocolate chip cookie that contained who knows what from a gas station coming over Snoqualmie Pass.)
So there you go, my partial successes and failures on our little get away to the big city :) One win that I will claim is the Saturday morning 30 Minute Shred workout that I did... It had to count for something right?

My next post will include my woes while attempting vegetarian jambalaya with vegan andouille sausage... Stay tuned!

Tools For Success

I am a pretty busy lady... I have three kiddos... 6, 4, & 1 and trying to find the time to "do it all" is next to impossible. I am a LONG way from coming close to being a successful prioritizer, but I am making progress! Here are a few things that I have found helpful in making sure I stay on my health track.

1. Get a workout buddy!

Finding time to work out once your little ones are awake is next to impossible. Between "mommy, I'm thirsty" and "mommy, so and so has boogers!" there are just too many distractions. So get up early and find someone else who will be as committed as you to show up and get busy. Either meet at your home or go to a local gym. Also, if you or your buddy are going to cancel, don't let your partner know until just before you are about to start. That way they won't be tempted to skip as well and will most likely complete the workout because they are already there :)

2. Be flexible

Sometimes you don't have time for a full 60 min workout so make the most of your time and push yourself to do a workout that packs a punch as far as calorie burning goes. I think I sweat as much, if not more, doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred for 20 minutes as I do doing P90X's Cardio X. You don't burn quite as many calories, but you won't feel like you've wasted one second and you can count it as a win! :)

3. Technology Rocks!

I was turned onto a free app called My Fitness Pal and it helps you keep track of all calories in and out. My favorite part is the bar code scanner when you are entering a recipe or a packaged snack. Super quick and easy :) it also keeps track of all of your activities and how many calories you burned while working out. Get it. Use it. You'll be glad you did! And add me as a friend while you are at it!

Well, that's it for today! I am going to be put to the ultimate test this weekend because we are traveling over to Seattle and I'm not sure where I am going to fit in a workout for the next 5 days (Eeek!) I may try out the workouts on Amazon Prime and let you know how they measure up.. We shall see.. Wish me luck!

We're Baaack!

So, it has been WAY too long since I have blogged about health and fitness goals. Since my last entry, my family has had quite a few life changes... We moved back to Washington state from Texas, started a new business and welcomed a new addition to our family last February :) I am getting back in the zone as far as fitness and healthy eating goes and figured this is a better venue to air my thoughts and feelings on the subject than bugging all if my friends on Facebook ;) Anyway, I just started adding P90X workouts to my vegetarian (but mostly vegan) lifestyle, and I have to say that after just one week of incorporating Cardio X for three days, I already see and feel a difference! I haven't taken my measurements (silly, I know) but its just because I don't have a soft tape :/ But I did take before pics and MAY post them if the afters turn out ok ;) I was going to track my weight, but gave up on that since I gained a pound since last week, but am confident it is muscle. I started at 119.6 and weighed in at 120.8 this morning. My next post will be about a new tool that have found helpful in tracking my fitness and dietary goals, so stay tuned!!