Staying on Track While Being Injured.....and How to Overcome It

Hey everyone!  So after a long hiatus, we're back.  May was crazy.....hockey was in full swing and then I dislocated my shoulder on top of it and have been in a sling for over 3 weeks waiting on surgery. So...I haven't really been up to tooooooo much!!!!!

Anywhooo....the purpose of this post.....staying on track while being injured and how to overcome it.  I workout errrday.  Pretty much. It's my release, my de-stresser, my escape, my outlet to let everything go.....so one Friday I was sitting catching up on some emails and reached back to pick up my 5 year olds coat off the floor and bam....my shoulder popped out....for the 15th time. Legit.  An hour and a half later I find myself in the ER, getting X Rays and getting referred to an orthopedic surgeon.  Flash forward 3 days and I find myself being told I am 99.9% getting surgery and will never be able to lift probably ever again.  My world crushed.  My one escape, my one thing I do to get rid of everything that is bothering me, to be told I most likely will never be able to do it again.  I cried the whole way home until my little guy asked if he could buy me some ice cream with his piggy bank money.  At that moment, I realized, you can overcome this.   This past 4 months, I have made some of the most amazing gains that I ever have.  I packed on 20 lbs of muscle...and not in the binging on Burger King and McDonalds type of way either. I increased every single thing in the weightroom.  And then to have that all be taken away in an instant? No way.  I will not let that happen.  So....after a week or so of sulking, a week of crying to my husband every night and thinking my life is over....I made a plan.

I talked to one of my really good friends (who happens to be a trainer and works in my hospitals sports medicine clinics) and worked on what I can do to help myself until I have to go in for surgery.  I decided that I'm going to continue to lift.  I know.....it sounds crazy, but here me out.  My right arm is a-okay.  My left, well I can continue to do bicep work and minimal tricep work. So I will.  We also came up with a nice little resistance band/isometric shoulder workout.  My anterior capsule is completely shot, but if I can strengthen just a little portion of it, I will take it. It will make recovery easier.  I've switched my cardio routine. The recumbent bike is my new best friend.  I can incline walk and bike it out to my hearts content.  I need to modify my diet, which I know I need to do, but I haven't completely done it yet.  I know come surgery time, I will need to eat as clean as possible with the limited movement that I will be doing.   I can have my arm out of my sling right now for a couple hours a day, so I've been maximizing on that.   Post surgery, we will take it as it comes, but I plan on getting my full mobility back. They told me between 3 and 6 screws are to be put in place and to expect to lose some mobility. I plan on rocking my physical therapy and showing them whats up.

The most important piece of advice I can give on this.....have a positive mind set.  If you tell yourself you can do it, you can.  It may suck the big one right now and you might be beyond butt hurt over it all, but if you can tell yourself that you will overcome it and come out better and stronger than before, than do it.  Make a plan out for yourself and follow it.  Tell yourself this is what I'm going to do and don't falter.  Don't use it as an excuse to binge out on crap.  Nourish your body.  By going about setbacks in a healthy and positive manner, you will find yourself overcoming and being stronger in the long run.  I know I have a long 12 weeks ahead of me.....but I won't let myself get down over it.  I'm going to use it to come out the best version of myself that is possible.  The body is an incredible thing.....push yourself.  You will see yourself adapt and power through things you never thought possible.  Don't baby yourself.  Give yourself strength and positivity and you will see definite changes.

My very own pre workout

Linda here...I have something to admit.  I don't take pre-workout, or supplements for several reasons.

Reason 1: Money, I don't want to spend it on supplements, been there done that, over it/ I'm cheaper than Megan...
Reason 2: I forget to take them anyway, so they sit in my purse for years.
Reason 3: I don't feel its necessary for me to pump all this crap into my body anymore.  This one time, I took a fat burner and thought I was having a heart attack for a month, that's all it did for me...scum.

So here's the other thing, my wake- up time is 4:30 am...I know I know, its OBSURD.  Sometimes I smack my alarm clock and say "no way in hell" and roll over, sometimes, at least once a week, which means I have to catch up on Saturday to make up for that missed workout. 

I took a brief 1 month hiatus from lifting a short while back and I'll admit it's hard to get back into, especially when you have no help from pre-workouts or supplements.  Now I am back into it and I am determined to do this all natural because...reasons above. 

Last night I had the brilliant idea that I would make myself a coffee, stick her in the fridge and gulp it down cold this am pre workout.  I did just that.  I sprung up with my alarm this morning (because husband yells at me if I don't, it wakes the sleeping bear), got dressed, dodged some friendly cats and opened the fridge.  "Oh ya I made a coffee"...and down the hatch.

image

Let..me...tell..you..

IT WORKED.  Hot damn, I was ON FIRE. Got me through the whole workout and then some. Here is the recipe to my very own home made pre workout...don't laugh...okay laugh I like it


-Regular coffee, no flavoring etc (I used a Kcup, so 1 Kcup)
-1/4 Cup of almond milk
-put in fridge
-consume next morning.

DONE, that's it, no flavoring, no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, I drank it just like that.  I mean if you feel the need to put something else in it, go for it I won't judge you, but it worked just as well as pre workout worked for me in the past, minus the whole tingling skin bit, I hated that about pre workout, also they always tasted DISGUSTING to me.  Coffee is coffee it tastes like coffee.

On a side note, I am by no means saying pre-workout is stupid, I just don't like it cause it makes me tingle for weeks then stops working and it makes my wallet lose weight.  Basically I'm cheap, and this is a frugal way to fuel workouts.  Try it out, it might work!  Or maybe it won't and you can comment about how much I suck, it's fine I'm cool with it.


 

Best most easiest breakfast ever...and why you should join a CSA!

So we over indulged for Easter....and I know I'm not really feeling much of anything besides blah. My hubby even said he wasn't feeling today when he left for work.  So I loafed around for a good hour and a half...made a cup of coffee and decided on  making this for breakfast.

Seriously people....it took 2 minutes.  Literally.  2 minutes.....

My dad came down for Easter dinner yesterday evening, so I wanted to make an Easter meal that was as clean as possible but yet still would be eaten by our 5 year old.  In the midst of all my grocery shopping, I got a box of baby heirloom tomatoes.  They are so colorful and cute and delicious.  So as I was staring at my refrigerator this morning wondering if my hubby looked at our CSA application, I got my box of tomatoes out and whipped up this.

All it is is jasmine rice I had cooked up (because I cook it in bulk every week for easy meals....and because if you don't eat jasmine rice, you really don't know what you are missing), a poached egg, and a couple sliced up baby heirlooms.  As the egg poached, I nuked the rice and tomatoes.  Top it with the egg and some pepper and voila.  Heaven.  The tomatoes are so fresh it's ridunk. You will thank me.

Back to my CSA....I love CSAs.  I think everyone should participate in a CSA program near you.   What is a CSA you ask?  Community Supported Agriculture.  A farmer offers "shares" to the public to buy (typically $300 for half share of $500 for a full share).  Every week for 20+ weeks, you receive a box with your share of vegetables and other items the farmer has produced.  It has perks for both the consumer and the farmer.  The farmers receive the payment early in the season which allows cash flow for their farm to operate.  If any of you are like me and live on a working farm, you know how hard it is to maintain a farm on its own cash flow.  My neighbors are currently storing grain in hopes that the prices go up to sell it so they can recoup some of the money they have lost on other crops.  The farmer also provides you with the freshest, hand picked vegetables out there.  You get to be a part of the farm, and most of the times the farmers include their share holders in pickings or other events on the farm.

You might be like "whatttttt $300 for vegetables? Are you crazy??" But....that's $300 for 20+ weeks worth of organic, pesticide free, locally produced vegetables.  I don't know about you, but every week I go to the store I spend $100+ on groceries....and 75% of that is fresh vegetables.  Do the math...you will save a ton of money during the growing season.  Another thing I love....you get whatever vegetable is in season....you don't pick and choose, so it opens up your palate to new vegetables and new ways of cooking them.  The one CSA that is local to me offers a Budding Farmer program for elementary school kids. For $48 a season, they will  send educational material and fun stuff home every week for your kid to learn more about farming.  I literally could go on and on about how much I love CSA's and how I think everyone should participate, but I will spare you.

So that being said.....go to www.localharvest.org and find yours today!!!!!

Body Image vs. Body Images

We are going to hit you up with a two person post today, because we both have things we want to say about this topic.

I (Linda) was going through the VS website drooling over their adorable bikinis when I came across this image, and got real upset.

Okay I get it, we are all different shapes and sizes, some of us are thin, some of us have a lot of curves, some of us have no curves, doesn't matter, we are all females.  This image however, it upset me.  Why?  Well it's not because this model is super svelt, it is Victoria's Secret after all, I get it, the models are thin and that is what is attractive to the brand and the fit of the bikinis, I'm over that.  However, look a little closer.  You can see where she had a shadow, that has been removed because the photoshopper was nipping her in further at the waist and gapping her thighs more, to emphasis what?  Curvy-ness?

You know what this image emphasizes to me?  It emphasizes why it is hard to be a teenage girl, why women say things like "omg I am so fat" and why everyone is looking towards the next best fad diet or cleanse to "get skinny".  I am exhausted by it, it makes me angry, and sad, it makes me want to take all the teenage girls into my arms and hold them close and shelter their eyes from the world.  It makes me want to follow my goddaughter around at all times just to make sure she never ever has to deal with bullying or "mean girls" or whatever.  It makes me want to throw my desk up on itself and tell the fashion industry to fornicate itself...in nicer terms.

I sent this image to Megan, and her first response was "this is why we have the problem we have", and she is right and I agreed to the millionth degree, so much so that here we are ranting about it in a post.

I won't lie, sometimes I feel "fat", sometimes I nitpick myself, I do it, more than I should and people, like my husband for example, cant for the life of them understand why.  My cellulite bothers me, but he doesn't even see it, like at all.  I hate that my thighs rub together, he's never noticed that.  My arms are flappy, but to him he sees nothing but a perfectly functioning arm.  Okay maybe my husband is just a really good guy (he is), but it's also because he doesn't dwell on this stuff, because, well because he is a man.  Us women, we are bombarded with these images that seep deep into our heads and sit there and burn into our brains and remind us "hey, you are imperfect".  And we are, we are imperfect, we are all imperfect, so is this model, because someone thought it necessary to change her image to make her look SMALLER.  WHY???  Why can't we be real about it.  We are all different shapes and sizes and colours, why do we expect to fit into the same mold?  Can we please stop it?

Can we please accept it and be imperfect?

I saw a post on instagram the other day, it said...

"You are not fat, you have fat.

You also have fingernails, you are not fingernails"

 Heyyooo! So it's my turn (Megan).....I agree with EVERYTHING Lin says.  I know everyone has a different take on what is "hott" and "skinny" and "fit", but instead of loving you for who you are, we are constantly bombarded with being smaller is being better.  I can't go and buy a pair of jeans without having to look at a picture of a size 00 model wearing the pair that I want and making them look amazing and then grabbing my size 4's off the shelf and having a moment of self loathing in the dressing room.  My husband asks me DAILY why I don't wear jeans and why I wear leggings alllllllll the time instead. Simple answer -- a) they are comf...lets be honest here  and b) society today has given us such a warped sense of what we should look like it's uncomfortable to squeeze into them and realize they look NOTHING like what they looked like in the picture. I haven't bought a pair of jeans in 2 years.  Not  a single pair.  

Okay so where am I getting at with this.....instead of focusing on how small you are, we should be focusing on how strong we are.  I no longer focus on what my scale says, but instead on did I up my max today doing curls or did I PR on squats.  I eat clean-ish for the most part, but I don't hold back. If I want something, I work it in my day.  I am active, I workout almost every day. Once.... I trained to be a bikini competitor and the experience taught me a whole heck of a lot.  I was unhealthy....starving....and when I quit training, I still wasn't near stage weight.  I wasn't going down that path again.  I love life and want to live it.  Below are 3 pictures of my absolute idol -- Libby DiBiase.  She is everything I strive to be....strong, healthy, fit, and beautiful.

Focus on strength. Focus on being healthy.  Focus on being fit.  Don't focus on fitting in to your size 0000000 jeans.  I care about if I can run that distance.  Can I row that 5000 meters? Can I lift that?  I took a picture of myself the other day and sent it to Lin.  I looked at it and realized, I am fit.  Yes, I have abs. No, I'm not 100 lbs.  I have quads that are defined. No, I'm not 110 lbs.  I have arms that get noticed.  No, I'm not 120 lbs.  I'm 140 lbs.  140.3 to be exact....and I STILL wear the same clothes I wore when I starved myself down to 115lbs.  Sure, I'm not going to be that stick thin waif walking around the beach, but I'm okay with that.  I'm the only girl in my gyms weightlifting club.  And I'm okay with that.  You should be okay with yourself too!!  Take your strengths and focus on them.  Don't get caught up in society today. Be the best version of you that is possible. 

Alone time dinner

Saturday I was alone in my house with my cats and no vehicle.

Alone...all day, unheard of.
Which meant I had a lot to get done, I was very productive, laundry, cleaning, workout, groom cats, etc. After lunch, I had the hindsight to throw in some chicken breasts onion and garlic with spices and my fav hot sauce into the slow cooker. By the time dinner rolled around I was hungry.  There wasn't much in the fridge but there was enough to make what I gotta say, was an amazing dinner.

I sautéed some kale in olive oil and garlic, sea salt and some pepper and a spash of white wine. I like my kale crispy so I wait until the edges are brown to eat it. I then baked a sweet potato in my microwave. I peeled it first then washed it then popped it in for 7 mins. While that was all happening I remembered my avocados. Took out an avocado and smashed half of it with lemon pepper mix mix mix. 

Once the potato was done. I took it out and cut it and laid it out like it was a plate, smeared some virgin coconut oil on it, put on some pulled slow cooked chicken, threw on the avocado, put the kale on the side and went to dinner heaven.

 

Okay I'm not the best with photographing it, but that shit was GOOD.  I was soo full and happy after it was amazing.  I also had extra kale for my lunch today, which made me extra happy.

 

What you need to recreate;

 

- Cooked "pulled" chicken (slow cook a pack of chicken with onions, garlic, salt pepper, whatever other spices you like, a dash of hot sauce and let it cook for hours until you can pull it apart.

- Kale (with olive oil, kale, garlic, salt pepper, a splash of white wine)

- Half of a ripe avocado

-Sweet potato (and coconut oil, or if you want to use butter and can eat it, go for it)

 

Simple ingredients in little to no time.  I wish I worked from home so I could use my slow cooker for everything, I don't trust it on all day when I'm not home.  Lucky Megan...

 

Linda

 

 

Throw out your scales!!!

Whats up fitfam?!  So, in my 15 day hiatus.....I've done a lot!  Bronchitis and walking pneumonia overtook my house -- thankfully not me -- Work has been crazy (what is it with this time of year?!??!) and I've been planning for the start of coaching my first junior high Hockey season, which starts tonight! So, while my diet hasn't been "on point" in my hiatus, my workouts most definitely have been.  So get to the point here Megan, what is this post about!

Alright, alright.....I want everyone, yes everyone.....to throw out your scale!!  But why!!! Why would anyone want to do that?!?!?  Think about it....your weight, it's just a number.  But it's a number that you let CONSUME your every being.  You are probably that person who weighs themselves every.single.morning.  or better yet, weighs themselves 5 times throughout the day.  Okay, timeout....you know that your body can fluctuate weight up to 8 lbs in an entire day right??  Just ask Lin about my extraordinary food babies and my amazing ability to hold like 10 lbs of food at one time.  But anyway...back on topic...the scale.  It's just downright depressing.  Who the hell wants to get on a scale after busting their ass in the gym or with their diet just to find out it hasn't budged AT ALL.  Talk about a buzz kill.  I'll admit it, there are times I get like that.  I was in a downer on Friday...I worked hard all week at the gym and expected to see SOMETHING and I didn't.  And then I slapped myself and realized "silly girl. you know better than this!".

The scale means NOTHING when it comes to telling you how in shape you are....NOTHING.  When you weigh yourself, you are weighing bones, fat, muscle, water, the 1/2 lb cheeseburger you ate 2 hours ago.  Lets get in to it even more.  Muscle weighs more than fat....Fat takes up more volume in your body. To get a definitive gauge of yourself, you should be taking your measurements.  I do mine every week. It's much more rewarding to see your inches decrease (and by saying that, I'm hoping it is being replaced with lean muscle mass and not just eating so few calories you are losing everything you have).  So instead of saying "I want to lose weight" everyone should be saying "I want to increase my lean muscle mass".  I'll give you me for example.  My diet has been....well...not where I know it could be.  Sure, I'm eating in a deficit, I'm watching my macros for the MOST part, but I indulge....more than I know I should.  Just ask the tupperware full of brownies and funfetti cupcakes on my counter right now.  Over the past 4 weeks, my scale has gone up 3 solid pounds.  I briefly had a cry sesh over this the other day......and I mean briefly, as in step on the scale, see the number, step off, cry for .2 seconds, then put my favorite pair of pants on that have been too tight for 6 months that actually now fit, and get happy again.  But how?!  I will tell you how.  My gains in the weight room have been incredible.  I am gaining lean muscle mass and losing fat.  My inches lost tell me so.  So while the scale is going up, my body is replacing fat I had stored with lean muscle and decreasing my size.

I ain't scared....I'll tell you....today I weigh 142 lbs, was 18.4% body fat when I got measured last week at the gym, and am sitting solid in a size 2/4 pant. This ain't no lie.... Flash back 5 years ago when I was in college.....didn't know what a diet or a gym was.....weighed 150 lbs and was in a size 10...barely.  It's a hard concept to grasp, I know this, but trust me on it.  Don't be afraid of the weights people, and stay away from the scale.  Take your measurements.  Judge based on "goal" pants. Do whatever works for you, but stay away from the scale.  You will thank me for it later.

xoxo!

Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!!

Okay.....so here's the scoopy doopy.  I downloaded the Blogger app on my phone.....typed up this post four....yes FOUR times.....forgot to save it and closed out of the app.  Poof.....it's all gone.  So now, for try five.

So, stuffs been super cray around here.  I've been so busy with work (yes....I do have a real job) that I haven't had time to do anything...literally anything....let alone catch up on here.  I've been feeling like a little worker drone who doesn't have enough time in her day to get done what needs to get done.  I mean, lets be honest here, when you start your work day at 6:45-7:00, by 4:30 in the afternoon you are tired, worn out, and ready to hit your head off your desk.  Not to mention, I've been traveling a lot this month so the ability to play catch up is non-existent.

Anywhoo...I'm back and have actually made some ridiculous gains in my hiatus.  I'll blog about that later because, well....there's another special topic I want to tackle with that one.  So back to my cookies.  I made brownies last night...because well IIFYM and I made sure brownies did do that.  So I thought to myself, man....I should probably make something a little cleaner to go with it. So I whipped up these cookies and they are yummy.  Like, straight out of the oven eat the whole pan yummy.  Or even...next day, make a cup of coffee and heat some up in the microwave yummy.  They are yummy. In every way shape and form.  I combined 2 different protein powder flavors this go around and honestly it works so good. So, here ya go. Keep in mind, you don't have to make it with canola oil.  I did because honestly, that's all I had.  You can sub whatever you want.

Servings: 13       Serving Size: 1 cookie
Cals:   113         Protein: 5g      Carbs: 8g      Fat: 7g 

• 1 1/2 c oat flour 
• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1/2 scoop chocolate protein
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup Splenda for baking
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together (minus chocolate chips).  The dough should be kind of stiff.  If you need more of a liquid, add a smidge more applesauce tablespoon by tablespoon until everything is JUST combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Drop on to sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until just done.  Then EAT! 

Dinna- by Linda

Final product, soo tasty

                        

2 frying pans simultaneously

                         

 

So I'm not exactly a chef, I pretty much learned how to cook by just doing. When I lived with my parents I didn't even know how to turn on the stove, I also didn't know how to work the washing machine, and I'm a freakin clothing designer, another story for another day...

Anyway, now although I can use my stove and whatnot, I'm still no chef, but I get by, I just try shit.  The odd time I will try a recipe, and the even odder time it will work, but mostly I use my brain to try when I can.  I wouldn't say I love cooking, I hate having to do all that after a long ass day of work, and a long commute home, but if I didn't my husband and I would be 400 lbs..so there's that.

I had the forethought to pull chicken out of our freezer one morning and came home and thought "ya Imma do Chinese".  Please don't hate me for saying this, but I despise Chinese food.  I mean I like elements of it, but greasy Chinese takeout makes my stomach churn, but husband really likes it so on this particular night I started throwing stuff together.

Step one: rice cooker, cook 1/2 a cup of rice...yep for two people thats all you need

Step two: 2 frying pans, simultaneously

           Pan 1: chopped up chicken breast with coconut oil, 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, and random ass spices

           Pan 2: Mixed Asian veggies (it came in a bag, snap peas and carrots and broccoli), 1/2 a white

                      onion, 1 tbsp. coconut oil, 1 bag of bean sprouts, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, sarachia sauce, salt

                      and pepper, and whatever other spice you want

Step three:  When veggies and chicken are done, put them together into one pan on low and throw
                    your rice into the empty pan and fry that shit up for a minute or so

Step four:  Mix it all together, throw more sirachia on top and enjoy

You can add some eggs in if you like, I was going to, but forgot, and was too lazy to go back, it was delicious without the eggs anyway.

There it is, the shitty cook's version of Chinese food,  we gobbled it down nicely.

 *yes I say shit alot

My Guide to Supplements

The one question I probably have people ask me the most is "what supplements do you take??"  Now, while I can't answer what works for everyone, I can tell you what works for me and what has worked for me.  Before starting ANY sort of supplement, read about them, read possible side effects, just read everything and anything about them and see if they are right for you.  This is what I take on a daily basis.  I've never been questioned going through airport security with my pill box either....if you are wondering about traveling and supplements.  (I've also never been stopped for having a shaker full of Whey). I know it might seem like a lot, and sometimes I feel like an old lady when I pop them all, but I'd rather support my body then not.  

My supplements: Prenatal vitamins, fish oil, Migrelief, Amino Burst 300 

PreNatal Vitamins:  NO!! I am NOT pregnant, and NO, I have NO plans on getting pregnant.  So why PreNatal vitamins you ask?? It's really pretty simple.  When we workout, we are wearing down and rebuilding muscle fibers constantly.  PreNatal vitamins contain folate.....what do we need to rebuild muscle tissue?  Folate!  Folate is critical for rebuilding and creating new cells in our body.  What is one way that muscles grow?  By rebuilding and replacing the cells we damaged when we weight train! So I can get into it even further if you want (since you probably think I'm crazy).  What else does folate do?  Helps build DNA and RNA.  What process do we use to build and grow muscle when we weight train?  Muscle Protein Synthesis!  What are the main components of muscle protein synthesis? DNA and RNA!  Yayyy!!!  So in short....a PreNatal vitamin aids in the building and recovery of muscles while weight training. It also contains DHA which is an Essential Fatty Acid that your body needs to function.  Enough said.  If you're not down with taking a PreNatal....make sure you are taking a multi-vitamin formulated for your gender.  Men and women need completely different nutrients, so make sure you are taking one formulated for your needs.  

Fish Oil: The human body cannot produce enough essential fatty acids on it's own....so it looks for the food we eat or a supplement to get the proper amount of of EFA's. EFA's are a main component in building lean muscles.  They help increase muscle synthesis and decrease the rate at which you degrade your muscles. They also help your cardiovascular health, support healthy blood flow, help joint function, and like I said before, muscle recovery. 

BCAA's:  Branch Chain Amino Acids are very important for all muscle synthesis and muscle recovery.  I swear by them. I take GNC Amino Burst 3000.  I pop 3 post workout, and I swear the next day I am not as fatigued and the pain from Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome is MUCH less. When you weight train, you deplete your bodys natural storage of BCAA's.  Protein is made up of 22 amino acids. Eight of these amino acids the body cannot produce, so it looks for supplementation to make up for it.   BCAA's reduce muscle fatigue, speed up muscle recovery, decrease the loss of other amino acids, and help your body absorb protien (and we all know, if you are trying to build muscle, protein is a MUST). BCAA's are also metabolized in the actual muscles, not in your liver like most amino acids.  If you lack any of these BCAA's you are putting yourself at risk for muscle depletion.  

Protein:  Ahhh protien....I don't have any protein pictured, because I try to get MOST of my protein to fit my macros naturally.  I used to swear by drinking shakes errrrrday, but I've now discovered I can pretty much hit my protein goals by my food intake.  Don't get me wrong, there are days I still drink shakes, but if I can hit my goals based on the foods I eat, then I'm okay with that.  Protein is the building block for all muscle tissue.  You need protein to build muscle (duh.) The body also utilizes more calories breaking down protein which increases your natural calories burned.  Win win, right?  So get your protein in!!!  

What's the other one in the picture? Migrelief.  I suffer from EXTREME chronic migraines.  I know it has nothing to do with muscle recovery or function, etc.  But I take it everyday, so it was in my pickcha. I won't get into the details of it, but I take it every day.  It helps decrease the frequency and intensity of migraines, and was recommended by my doctor.  So for all you fellow migraine sufferers....you might be interested in checking it out!!  

Spicy Chipotle Southwest Salad

I was looking through my one food magazine and saw this amazing looking picture of a Southwest Salad with a Spicy Lime Ranch dressing. It looked absolutely amazing.....from the dressing straight to the corn chips that were on top.  I had it in my head all day that I was going to recreate something like it....and this is what I came up with.  I'm not going to do the nutrition on this, because you can top it with whatever you want. I think all around, each of my salads were about 400 cals with a nice balance of fats, proteins and carbs.   For mine, I did asparagus, avocado, roasted tomatoes, black beans, chicken and cheese.  My hubby got roasted peppers, avocado, roasated tomatoes, black beans, chicken and cheese.  When I met him he LOVED asparagus.....now he hates it.  I think I over-asparagused him last year with my over abundance of chicken and asparagus during my show training.

I didn't have corn chips or Spicy Lime Ranch....so I decided to make my own dressing and my own chipotle crisps to go on the side -- a much healthier alternative to topping with over salted and over processed corn chips.

The dressing is easy:  1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup Plain Almond Milk, 1 tsp Sriracha, 1 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning, 1-2 tsp of Ranch mix to taste.  It serves up as 2 servings - 25 cals each.

The chipotle crisps were easy.  I took a low carb wrap and sprayed it lightly with EVOO cooking spray. Sprinkle a little bit of Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle and toast until lightly browned.  Then I cut into wedges and put on the side.

On Sunday, when I was meal prepping, I made my go to shredded chicken, but I also cut up tomatoes, spread them on a sprayed cookie sheet, and sprinkled with Mrs Dash Basil and Garlic seasoning and roasted.  I did the same with the peppers.  It's so easy to roast your own vegetables.  I keep tupperware containers full of them to easily grab for breakfasts, lunches or dinners.  It really cuts down on the prep time when making meals.  Get it all done in one day!  I do asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and red potatoes every week.  In addition to my chicken and veggies, I also cook up turkey sausage for breakfasts, scramble eggs and egg whites for the hubby (I don't eat scrambled eggs in any form. Something about them makes me gag), and hard boil eggs.  Having everything available and cooked makes it easier to pick healthier alternatives.

I did 1/4 avocado on each salad.  Here's a tip on keeping the rest of your avocado...place in a container or bag and squeeze with lime juice.  It will prevent it from turning brown! I used to shy away from buying avocados because they would always turn brown before I could use them up.  This solves that!

Now my presentation wasn't as pretty as the one in the magazine, but I can say it was yummy.  It was so filling I literally had to stop and take a breather mid dinner.  It's packed with healthy fats, protein and balanced carbs -- a perfect, healthy dinner.  Enjoy!

Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Protein Muffins

I really feel like I don't have to write anything after looking at that picture.  I mean....look at all that chocolatey ooey gooey goodness.....in miniature form.  These little nuggets are literally TO DIE FOR.  I mean.....I wish I had another banana so I could whip up another batch. I'll be lucky if these last more than a day.

It was a super busy day doing food prep.  I have breakfasts, lunches and snacks made for the next couple days for both me and my hubby.  I needed one more clean snack that I could easily pack for the hubs to take to work or for me to just eat the whole entire batch in one sitting...either works in my book.  If I keep writing, I'm just going to go on about how good these are....so I'll just give you the recipe...

Servings : 12           Serving Size:  3 muffins

Cals:  132    Carbs:  17g     Protein:  8 g    Fat:  4g

• 1 1/2 cup oat flour (I use my old fashioned oatmeal and blend it in my Ninja)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 large egg white
• 2 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 mini muffin pans with mini cupcake wrappers (It will make 36 muffins).  Put everything but the chocolate chips in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour the batter in a bowl and add chocolate chips.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tins -- make sure to fill almost to the top.   Eat all the muffins as soon as they come out of the oven......that's pretty much what I did.  Enjoy!!  

Valentines Day Lovin!!!

Happy Valentines Day errryone!!! So.....I love Valentines Day.  Not because you are supposed to show your love for you significant other and blah blah blah....but because it gives me an excuse to make my food in to heart shapes and be ridiculous with what I create. I love hearts....and the color pink....and polka dots for that matter.  We don't go overboard on Valentines Day....and I'd rather eat food over getting flowers so he doesn't do the whole flowers bit.  Plus...my hubby just had surgery on Monday so he is NOT in the festive mood!

So I'm gonna do something a little bit different today.....maybe you're like me and loathe spending money on Valentines Day. I'm gonna show you some ideas that some of them are healthy....some are crafty...and some are just plain use up what you have laying around your house!  Valentines Day doesn't have to be about gorging yourself with food and chocolate.  Sure....I made some chocolate chip cookies from a Cooking Light  recipe I had in my box (and I made those pretzel thingys with the Hershey kisses and M&M's but somehow they only lasted 18 hours.....and I didn't get a purdy pickcha).  Instead.... make it about heart healthy choices so you can be around with your loved one for many Valentines Day's to come!!!

We started our morning off with a nommy breakfast of heart shaped fruits, heart shaped eggs, and heart shaped toast (the boys got all the rest of the bacon).  I made some fruit salad last night and used a mini heart shaped cookie cutter to cut my pineapple and cantaloupe into heart shapes. One of my hockey girls was having a fundraiser in the fall for the theater department so I bought a heart shaped and star shaped pancake mold from her. They have them at Walmart too!  They are silicone and don't stick to anything. They can easily be used for eggs too.  Both my hubby and the little guy got heart shaped eggs this morning.

But I mean lets be honest here.....who doesn't love heart shaped toast.......

At preschool on Wednesday....the local hospital came in to talk about heart health.  They gave them handouts to identify the healthy foods in each segment (although our little heathen argued with me until he was blue in the face that pancakes, butter and syrup were considered healthy.  I had to tell him while they may not be the healthiest....they sure are the most delicious but to be eaten in moderation!) and they taught them how important it was to workout to maintain a healthy heart.  Ever since then, at every meal, he has asked for a big plate of fruit to eat first so he can be heart healthy and asks to go run laps around the house. Today while he was eating his egg, he told me the whites were the healthiest part and that's the only part he wanted to eat from now on.  Hey.....I won't complain!  He helped cut out the fruit last night and talked about it all night until he had it at breakfast this morning. I LOVE that our local hospital came in to teach this.  They also talked about how smoking affects the heart and other organs and what foods can damage it. Kudos to his teachers for setting this up!!  

For lunch, I made him a monster sammy.  I did low sodium ham, reduced fat cheese, and greek yogurt. The eyes are venison hot sticks with a dab of yogurt on them (with his heart healthy strawberries of course).  He also wanted to eat his valentine -- whole grain pizza fish.  I swear I can't keep these things in my pantry long enough to get back to the grocery store.  

For a snack throughout the day, I made Parmesan Wonton Crackers. They are SUPER easy to make.  Get a pack of wontons, cut them in half.  Spray a cookie sheet with EVOO Cooking Spray, place the wontons out and spray tops with the EVOO spray, sprinkle with Herbs de Provence and Grated Parmesan.  Bake until golden @ 375 (about 5-10 minutes).  They come out to be about 80 calories for about 8 of them.  They go great with my Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus obsession.....

Don't ask me what I'm making for dinner....I have no idea yet.  I might just drink coffee out of my new mug (I made the hubby and I  matching ones with our names on them....because you know they were a dollar and I'm cheesy like that) and eat all the cookies...... Whatever you decide to do....ENJOY IT!!! 

If you want to make a mug for your lover....it's really easy.  I bought my mugs at the dollar store.  Wrote on them in permanent marker. Put them on a cookie sheet in the oven.  Turned the oven on to 375 once the mugs were in it (otherwise the quick heat will make them crack) and baked for 40 minutes. I then turned the oven off and let them cool down in the oven.  We did a similar thing for our wedding....except with a big ol serving plate.  Seriously....you don't need to spend a lot of money on stuff to make it work. 

Happy Valentines Day to all of you!!! Make the best of it!!!  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

So! I have a lot to catch up on......I've been creating and photographing (sup-par photographing) but haven't had time to actually blog!  I was in Texas all last week and then this week was just crazy. My hubby had surgery Monday so I sat in a hospital for 13 hours on Monday and then went back up on Tuesday morning to pick him up.  Meals in my house have kind of consisted of salads and soups because it's the easiest thing for him to get down!  Anywhoo...I made these little treats on Tuesday. I had some bananas to use up and had a craving for peanut butter cups.  These seriously are SO easy to make that the boys in my house could do it.  It just takes a little patience (that, my friends, is something the boys in my house do NOT have!!!)  So these aren't the epitome of health food.....but they are a healthier alternative for you if you are craving something sweet that is a little bit peanut butter and a little bit chocolate.  I actually add them to my oatmeal instead of adding cocoa powder.  It's a two step process but if you have some bananas that  need to get used up and you don't want to make banana bread.....do this.  Keep in mind.....my chocolate spreading skills SUCK and so do my pictures of these.  But you can figure it out....

Servings:  28   
Serving Size:  1  (I mean....who would really eat one...but I just did that so I could figure out the macros on just 1)


Cals:  49    Carbs:  5g   Protein:  1g   Fat:   3g

• 3 bananas -- cut into 56 slices
• 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1 tbsp Smart Balance Light Butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Almond Milk

First....you are going to make little banana peanut butter sandwiches with the peanut butter and banana slices (like the picture below).  Set them on a cookie sheet and let them freeze for about 30-45 minutes.  

Next, after they are frozen pretty good, place the chocolate chips, almond milk, and butter in a bowl.  Microwave -- making sure you stop about every 30 seconds and stirring -- so the chocolate doesn't burn.  A trick I learned is  microwave / stir until only about a third of the chocolate chips are not melty.  Take it out and stir and and everything will melt together as you stir.  It's important you add your almond milk WHILE you microwave or else the chocolate will get all chunky and not smooth.  So add your almond milk in from the get go.   After the chocolate is melted, toss your bananas and coat in chocolate.  Place back on the tray and let freeze until solid.

The only thing left to do is EAT!!!  Really.....I told you my chocolate coating skills were crappy.  But who's worried about that when you are stuffing down your throat right??

Traveling and staying on track? Wait whaaatttt

Heyyyyyyyyy everyone! Sorry for the hiatus. I just got back from my national sales meeting in Texas. A week in Texas without being able to choose your meals and spending countless hours in an airport (and on this trip....I mean countless)....wait that's all possible??? Why yes it is!

So...how do you plan for all this? It's actually really easy. Before I left, I prepped a weeks worth of meals for my hubby too. It's a choice to live a healthy lifestyle.  Sure...we all have our indulgences. Hell....my hubby took me to five guys for lunch today and I got a regular bacon cheeseburger. I actually had to take a breathing break halfway through to get it all in me.

But anywhoo....how does one travel and stay on track. First....I usually look for or book a room with a fridge. That way I can make sure to keep stuff cold in my and my ice pack frozen. If your ice pack isn't frozen....the TSA will make you throw it out (even more reason to check on a fridge). For this trip I did shredded chicken with salt free seasoning, 75% Cabot reducded fat cheddar, steamed broccoli, carrots and ranch, bananas, apples and PB, and protein oatmeal. Make sure you freeze whatever you aren't going to eat right away so it stays colder longer. I bag out in separate bags 4 oz of chicken, 1 oz cheese, 3 oz carrots, a cup of broccoli, and apples. I pack everything in a cooler bag. Remember if you're carrying on....ALL liquids have to be less than 3 oz and in your quart bag.....that means all your shampoos and stuff AND your ranch and PB. Sucks I know....but such is life.  People might look at you like you're cray cray but it'll be aight. I forgot to pack forks this trip so the first day in the airport I cave manned it with my bare hands and the guy next to me just stared. Hey....shit happens.

So the oatmeal....In little bags I pre portion out 1/3 cup oatmeal, a half scoop of whatever protein I'm deciding to use, a pack of splenda (I usually do chocolate protein). I ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water and pour it in. I usually then add a tbsp of peanut butter.

Call me crazy....I might be. But whatevss....it works for me. There are SOOOO many ways that you can make a healthy lifestyle work for you, even if you don't have the right surroundings. You just have to think outside the box a little. Whether it be school, work, traveling, whatever.....you can make it work if you put your mind to it.

Dark Chocolate PB Banana Protein Oats

This is my go to breakfast or snack for anything or any time when I'm running short on time, in a hotel room, traveling, or just plain lazy. It's seriously easy peasy and takes like 0.2 seconds to make.   When I travel...I pack out pre-portioned bags of all the dry ingredients (your PB has to be in a 3 oz container and its sticky so you want it seperate...duhhh) ask the flight attendant for some hot water and a double cup because that shiz is hot, and pour everything in, stir and let get thick. Banana's go through security easy....not peeled.  People stare at me like I'm cray cray but it'll be aighhhht.  I just feel bad for the guy who I sat next to on my last trip to Austin who had to endure this crazy chick next to him eating hard boiled eggs and chicken.  This recipe is much more friendly for those around you.  I love oatmeal so much I'd probably bathe in it if I could...I mean I can...but it will clog your drain.  

Oh....also don't judge my poor photography.  I am notorious for eating my oatmeal out of the pot I make it in.  I mean...who wants to do dishes right??  It may look like a pot full of crap but believe me....it is so delicious its absurd. Oh also....depending on what protein you use and how much of it you use....your macros and nutrition will change. 

Servings: 1

Cals:  297   Protein:  21g    Carbs:  27g   Fat:  9g

• 1/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 2/3 cup Water
• 1/2 - 1 scoop Vanilla Whey 
• 1 tbsp Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
• 1-2 tbsp Stevia or Splenda
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 2/3 tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Banana

You can make this a bunch of ways.....microwave, stove, hot water.  I'll cover each.  

Stove:  Cook the oatmeal in the water until soft.  Turn off heat.  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  

Microwave: Heat water and oatmeal in the microwave until oatmeal is desired consistency.  Add remaining ingredients and stir. 

Cup of Hot Water:  Add all the dry ingredients in the hot water.  Stir.  Add PB and Banana. Stir and let sit. 

Dark Chocolate Berry Goodness Shake

So I woke up this morning feeling a smidge under the weather.....headache, stomach ache, stuffy and runny nose.  Just my luck that I would get sick 3 days before I go to Texas. Those of you that know me, know I'm a huge advocate of eating breakfast, even if it's something small.  You need to eat something for breakfast to get your metabolism up and running for the day.  So.....I was making my hubby's breakfast and thought "ehh...solid food....not so much" so decided on a shake.  Now, in the summer time, my mom gave me 20 pints of blueberries and strawberries from one of her local CSA programs (If you don't know what a CSA is...you should google it and take part in one around you.  Support your local farmers!) Well...I also freeze EVERYTHING.  So in my nice brand spankin new freezer my hubby got me is 20 vacuum sealed bags of strawberries and blueberries!  How does this all lead in to what I'm going to tell you?  Well.....I decided on a dark chocolate and berry protein shake.  Why the berries and not like a banana or something?  Well....a.) I felt like berries and b.) strawberries and blueberries are an amazing source of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants! So on top of the NyQuil, Cold-EEZE, and gummy vites I just choked down......I can get all that from my shakey shake too! As Cartman would say in South Park "yyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy".

Anywhoo....so for the recipe.  Because I know you are all  bored with my ramblings.  Here ya go! Oh and yes....I do drink out of Monsters Inc cups because I'm classy like that.

Servings : 1

Cal: 222  Protein: 34 g    Carbs:  17 g    Fat:   3 g

• 1 scoop Vanilla Whey protein
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and strawberries
• 1/4 cup Plain non fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Hersheys Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
• 1-2 tbsp Stevia or Splenda
• 1 tbsp Ground Flax Seed
• water and ice to desired consistency 

Mix all in a blender until desired consistency!

Chicken and Roasted Veggie Stuffed Red Potatoes

It was totally a lazy Saturday today.  I'm reading a new book and literally only moved off the couch from reading it to cook and go to the gym.  I had every intention of posting my Protein Banana Bread recipe....but it lasted only a day and I have no pictures to show for it.  I did manage to go to the store today after the gym to pick up some things I ran out of and saw these huge, perfectly round red potatoes.  I saw a recipe a few days back from Fit Men Cook for salmon stuffed red potatoes and thought I could whip something up with them.  So here ya go, on this snowy, snowy Saturday night. It's super easy too. I had everything prepped before hand so it literally took me all of 15 minutes to make.  I only had to cook the potatoes in the microwave. This is a perfect meal to be served with a simple side like grilled asparagus, broccoli, or even a salad.  My grocery store was doing a 10 items for $0.88 so I did mine with cheddar cauliflower.  I made two of these bad boys, one for me and one for the hubs.  I did the recipe for only one -- so if you're planning to make more than one, just double or triple. You can also add in whatever veggies you want.  I kept the mushrooms out of my hubby's.

Like I said in previous posts, I make shredded chicken 2-3 times a week.  I just throw chicken in a crock pot, nothing else, and let it cook.  The chicken will release it's own juices and it will create super juicy shredded chicken.  You can roast the tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms in the oven.  Chop everything up, spray a foil lined cookie sheet with spray, lay everything in an even layer and roast at 425 until they start to brown and get soft.  Also, if your filling is a little on the dry side, try adding a splash of water to it.  I saved the insides to my potatoes so I can make homefries in the morning :)

Servings: 1
Cals: 395     Protein: 39g   Carbs:  20g  Fat:  5g

• 1 large red potatoed, cooked and hollowed out
•  5 oz shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup fat free Ricotta
• 1/4 cup roasted tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence (or you can use Italian seasoning)
• 1 tbsp Light Italian Dressing
• dash of salt
• dash of pepper

Cook the potato in the microwave.  Cut a little bit of the top off so you have a flat surface and then hollow out the insides (BE CAREFUL!!! It will be HOT!!).  Heat your shredded chicken and add to it your roasted veggies, ricotta, dressing and spices.  Toss so it is all coated and mixed.  Stuff the potato with the mixture and serve. 

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!  

Real Deal about Carbohydrates

So I've been seeing this SOOOO much lately and I figured maybe it's time we had a discussion about carbs.  I think with the new year starting off, everyone gets sucked in to these low carb diets.  I mean lets be honest here.....they make it so easy for you by offering shakes and bars and meal replacements.  But people....I have to tell you a secret.....carbs are not the reason you gained weight!!  You gained weight because you had a poor diet and most likely did very little working out! The only thing you can attribute to weight gain is yourself.  You can't pinpoint carbs and say "yep...that's it...that's why I gained 20 lbs". Carbohydrates are NECESSARY nutrients that your body needs to function.  Sure....if you down a whole Pizza Hut pizza in one sitting, yeah...carbs are PART of the issue....but I'd be more focused on the fact that you just consumed 1000000000000 calories and 1000000000000000 grams of fat.  Trust me....in that scenario...carbs did NOT make you gain weight.  Or say you go out to breakfast and get a stack of French Toast, bacon and top it all with syrup.   The carbs aren't what is going to wreck you in that scenario....the bread drenched in eggs and cream (yes....did you know that restaurants use either full fat cream or whole milk to make their French Toasts?  No? Well now you do) topped with mounds and mounds of butter.....and yes....the person who is plopping that butter on your French Toast doesn't care about your waist line and while it may not look like a lot when it comes out....that butter is already melted in to your French Toast....the full sugar syrup that you pour on top...that sucker right there has about 215 calories PER 1/4 CUP....thats 4 tbsp people....AND about 35g of SUGAR! And then there is the bacon....don't get me wrong...I love bacon....I love it so much I'd bathe in it. Do I eat it a lot? I go through spurts....but when I do I always limit myself to 2 pieces. 68% of the calories that come from your bacon is fat...that's over half people. This is why you are gaining weight...NOT because you had 2 pieces of bread on a sandwich or dipped your dry piece of wheat toast in your dippy eggs.

You can have your carbs and eat them too here.  What you have to understand is what TYPES of carbs should you be eating.  I mean....if you just say "I don't eat carbs" does that mean you don't eat most fruits and vegetables? A banana has about 30g of carbs in one banana.....and is one of the best post workout grab and go snacks you can eat if you don't have time for anything else.  There are such things as simple carbs and complex carbs.  What makes them simple or complex?  That depends on their chemical structure but more importantly how quickly the sugars are digested in to your system.

Complex carbs are the carbs you should be filling your diet with. These would be whole grains, beans, fruits  and vegetables. The sugars from these carbs release into your body gradually and deliver a steady supply of sugar to the blood stream which provides long lasting energy.

Simple Carbs  are made of molecules that your body can easily breakdown and cause a quick release of sugar into the body. This is where you can get in to the "bad" carbs. Sugars, candy, white bread, chips, syrups.....they are all simple carbs.  That syrup you had with your French Toast....it might have had 53g of carbs in it but 35g of it was sugar.....sugar that is getting released just like that in to your blood stream and is not going to sustain your energy levels.

Does all this mean that you need to eat 300g of carbs a day?? Heck no techno.  Not unless you are a high performance athlete that pushes their body to the brink during workouts every single day and is consuming 3000 calories a day.  I make sure to fill my diet with about 35% carbs every single day.  Sure....I might choose the low carb whole wheat wrap over the regular whole wheat wrap....but that's because I eat 6 times a day and I don't like to eat up all my carbs in one sitting. I might not have a "starch" for dinner because I know that my yogurt I'm going to eat at 8 PM is going to put me at my 35%.

If you are going to carb cycle (which is a WHOLE other topic)....but being very brief....follow a low - medium - high 3 day schedule and have your high carb day fall on a demanding lifting day (for me that would be leg day). Your body will thank you.  What do I  consider low-medium-high??  Low - 20%  carbs, medium - 30% carbs, high 45% carbs....but that's just me. Everyone is different and I know how my body reacts. I don't know about you....but I don't like being cranky.

So what am I getting at here.....basically, consuming carbs are not why you gained weight. It's what you put in your mouth as a whole that made you gain weight.  What should your diet consist of then?  Fruits, vegetables, whole unrefined grains, beans, etc.  Don't fill yourself up with sodas, sugars, syrups, donuts and cookies. It's not really rocket science here......but I guarantee you will find yourself having more energy, be fuller longer, and will just overall feel better about yourself.

Chicken and Ricotta Wontons

I love ricotta....literally everything about it.  I eat it straight by the spoonful because I love it so much.  It might sound gross but it works for me.  The other day I bought wonton wrappers at the store because I was going to make some homemade raviolis and I didn't feel like making my own dough so I was taking the easy way out. I was feeling inventive in the kitchen at lunch today....so I came up with these little suckers. They are deeeeelicious.  And super easy too.  The whole prep took just about 5 minutes and you just bake them for 10-15 minutes.  Hell...it takes longer to make a frozen pizza.  They are satisfying, easy to make, and a whole heck of a lot better for you then the fried wontons you would get in a Chinese restaurant....even though theses resemble nothing of a chinese wonton haha.  These wontons have a nice crunch from being baked too....so you won't miss the fact that they aren't deep fried!  You can have them by themselves for a nice lunch or have them with a nice salad on the side for dinner.

Every Sunday I put about 4-5 lbs of chicken by itself in a crock pot and let it cook all day to shred up.  It makes lunches and dinners super easy too.


So anywhoo...here ya go. (PS Don't mind the paper plate.....I'm trying to use them up because my hubby HATES eating off them)

Chicken and Ricotta Wontons
Serving size :  6 wontons   Servings:  1

Cals:  277   Protein:  22g   Carbs:  26g   Fat:  8g

• 6 wonton wrappers
• 1/3 cup shredded chicken
• 1/3  cup part skim ricotta
• dash of pepper
• dash of salt
• dash of Herbs de Provence

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray well with cooking spray.  Mix the ricotta, chicken and spices in a bowl.  Lay out wonton wrappers.   Place filling in the center of the wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water (you don't need too awful much!!).  

Fold the wrapper in half and seal the sides.  

Fold up the sides towards the middle.  

Bake for about 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy.  I topped mine with someone homemade marinara and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  

Enjoy!

Lower Carb Cheesy Pizza

So my step son wanted pizza for lunch yesterday....and lets be honest....I wanted some pizza too.  I could eat either pizza or double cheeseburgers and cheese fries for dayyyyys. I went pretty carb happy all yesterday morning ....so I didn't want something that I could take 2 bites of and a) be done b) not be satisfied and c) have it be like 40g of carbs for something that lasted 0.2 seconds.   So I ditched the can of pizza dough I had in the fridge and opted for this route instead.  It was my meal #3 for yesterday (I'm usually so good about my eating schedule but yesterday was all out of whack!)....and it was a nice balance of carbs, fats, and protein.  This is a nice alternative to a heavy, loaded down pizza.  It only has 16 g net carbs --- SOO much better than having one slice average 30g!!!  You can top with veggies, turkey sausage or turkey pepperoni if you want too...I just didn't feel like that on top of mine.  If you serve it with a nice salad or maybe some steamed veggies, you can have nice fulfilling dinner.  I had it for a snack and it served its purpose.   Also....excuse the horrible picture and the bite marks....I was seriously ravenous and couldn't wait any longer to eat it.

Cheesy Lower Carb Pizza

Cals: 297   Protein:  19 g    Carbs:  23 g    Fat:  14 g

• La Banderita Low Carb Soft Taco Wrap
• 1/2 cup your favorite marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup Italian blend cheese 
• 1/4 cup Part Skim Ricotta 

Heat your oven to 400.  Spray a pan with cooking spray.  Place the wrap in the oven to somewhat "toast" (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn -- mine took about 5 minutes to lightly toast).  Once its toasted lightly, take out of the oven and top with sauce and shredded cheese.  Take the ricotta and drop little spoonfuls all around on top of everything. Bake again until the cheese is all melty and bubbly -- about 5 -10 more minutes.  Cut in 4's and enjoy! 

 

Scales are for fish

Oh Hi there!  I'm Linda, Megan's Janice (long story).  I live in Canada, and we met on the internet and it's an even longer story.  Anyways, this is Megan's blog and I throw in some two-cents sometimes, so I wanted to throw in some two-cents about scales and weighing and all that jazz.

My story is I lost over 35 lbs in the passed 3 years ( went down and up before that my highest ever weight was 197 lbs!), I lost most of it in my first year, a handful in my second year and now I am just "In maitenence" or "reshaping" or whatever you want to call it.  I'm 5'6 and wear a size 4 if that is any indication and my weight fluctuates from 135-138 depending entirely on the positioning of the moon.

I stopped weighing myself a few months ago and decided to try to adapt a bit more to a clean eating/ high fat (yep HIGH fat, it's amazing)/ little to no gluten diet.  See I'm allergic to dairy, so I can't eat many things (yes it sucks but it works for me) and I try to avoid grains and beans but I still eat my jasmine rice, straight up white.  I guess you could say I'm kind of paleo, but I don't want to label myself with a title so "Hi I'm Linda I eat food that works for my body".  Yeah I like that.

I made the mistake of weighing myself after Christmas, because I am a total idiot and I was up a whole 3 pounds!  Okay that's nothing, could be water could be poop could be one of my cats sitting on my shoulders so I decided not to let it bother me.  Except it does bother me and I don't know why.  That's a lie, I do know why, it bothers me because we put so much emphasis on weight.  People always say "Linda have you lost more weight?! Stop losing weight!" When no... I haven't lost weight in a year, it's just that my exercise regime and my nutrition make subtle changes to my body weekly, even though half the time, I can't see them. Lets be honest without sounding like a conceited big headed pig I look pretty freakin fantastic, no lie and I work hard for that glory, but I have spent too much time nit picking extra skin and .5 of a lb etc etc.

Instead of spending the time celebrating victories or enjoying life in smaller jeans, I would worry about a number or that I have rolls still when I sit or that my thighs are too close together.  I'm over that shit, so done with it! I've come too far to be so cruel.

What I'm trying to say is that since that dreaded weigh in I have avoided the scale and I plan on continuing that trend, it's liberating until you step back on the sucker so please, join me!  Avoid/ trash/ burn the scale and focus on making yourself better for you, not for a board that measures your gravitational pull towards the earth.

It's simple really but I'm still learning.

In case you were wondering, this is what I look like.

(I cropped out my face because... I'm batman!)