Change the Way You Live

Bottom Left: Pre-Babies; Top Left: 37 Weeks with Baby #1; Bottom Center: 11 months post Baby #1; Top Right: 40 Weeks with Baby #2; Bottom Right: 7 months post Baby #2

 

'I need to lose a few pounds.'

'I need to lose weight.'

'Lifting weights is going to make me look bigger.'

'I need to cut out all carbs to look better.'

'I can't seem to get rid of this belly fat.'

'I barely eat anything. I don't know why I can't lose any more fat!'

 

 

 

 

You have probably heard those above words before. Perhaps you were even the one saying them. I have said them in the past as well. I even talk about my belly fat now in that way when I'm frustrated that my results aren't coming overnight (even though I trust the lifestyle I am following and I fully KNOW it takes time & consistency to have physical & aesthetic results). If you are anything like me, you are very impatient & frustrated with yourself when you have an 'off' day. It happens though. We are all human and those Oreos dipped in peanut butter don't help at all! Trust me, that bottom right picture does not look that way after I have a food baby.

 

I have made great progress in gaining strength this year. With an increase in my performance, I have found my physique has started to look more fit as well. In fact, I have changed up my fitness routine, along with the way I eat, and what I eat over the past 5 months numerous times. It has taken trial and error. The biggest struggle has been my mentality. My will and mindset has A LOT to do with my progress (or lack of progress) when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

 

I am not trying to say, 'Look at how good I look'. I want you to see & know that I too have my struggles and battles. I want you to see & know that I am on this journey with you. Many would say I should be a lot farther on this journey than where I am now. I want you to know I too am human and mess up from time to time. I want you to know you can enjoy life & still find time for a quick yet efficient workout. I want you to see & know that hard work & consistency does pay off over time. I want you to know that you don't need to spend hours working out as well as starving yourself to get the results you want.

 

I want you to see that the scale does not always show your healthiest self. My healthiest self is in that bottom right photo. I find it amazing to see my weight so 'high' and my physique looking the best it ever has and without flexing. I find in amazing that I eat-a lot-and I have muscle & am measuring smaller each week.

 

I want to be an example to my family & be around for a long time to live life with them. I want to enjoy life with the ones I love! I will not drop weight just to be skinny-I want to be healthy & I also need to have the right type & amount of nutrients in my body to nurse my 7 month old. Do I have loose skin from carrying a big baby girl? Yes, but that doesn't bother me because I am not defined by that. I have a healthy baby girl and toddler. My body was their home for over 9 months. Do I have cellulite? Yes, because I have fat on my body. Once that is gone, I can say goodbye to cellulite. I don't see that ever happening though.

 

 

A healthier lifestyle isn't about losing weight, eating less, working out for hours on end, dropping all carbs, and skipping the weights. I want to show you how to eat & workout and get the results you want without draining your energy level.

 

If you are looking for a healthier body & body shape, a way to get rid of your stubborn belly fat, ideas on what & how to eat to perform & look better, & workouts that are completely doable, I can help. Stop restricting yourself on meals & making yourself miserable with your workouts. Don't let the scale tell you how to live your life. Your worth & strength are not going to be measured on the scale. I want you to be confident in your skin, pleased with your lifestyle, proud of yourself, a motivation to those you love, & never again obsessing about the numbers on the scale.

 

My journey is still in progress. I hope you decide to join me & experience exciting & healthy life changes!

 

 

 

Left: January 2015; Right: June 2015

 

Peanut Butter Protein Squares

 

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter

3 Tablespoons protein powder

1 packet Stevia

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

3/4 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate chips or Dark Chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon Cocoa powder

 

 

 

Directions

1. Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.

2. Add Stevia, protein powder, and half of salt. Stir. Add a Tablespoon of coconut oil if the peanut butter mixture will not mix.

3. In another bowl, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals. Stir after each interval and repeat until the chocolate has melted.

4. Add the rest of the salt and all the cocoa powder to the chocolate and stir.

5. Poor half of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of any container you choose to use (I used a 5x5). 

6. Put the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate and spread evenly.

7. Add the remaining chocolate mixture to the top of the peanut butter mixture and spread evenly.

8. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before eating.

 

 

Makes about 12 squares

 

 

Nutrition

6.6 grams fat

8.6 grams carbs

3.4 grams protein

0.8 grams fiber

 

 

Workout Wednesday: 15 Minute Workout

Here is the workout that I completed yesterday...


 

5 minutes: Deadlift/Clean/Push Press

(medium weight)

 

5 minutes: Right Lunge/Squat/Left Lunge/Squat Jump

(medium weight)

 

5 minutes: Pull-up/Push-up/Squat Thrust

(bodyweight)

1 to 5 chain: rest when you need to and continue when ready.


Example

1 Deadlift/1 Clean/1 Push Press
2 Deadlifts/2 Cleans/2 Push Presses
3 Deadlifts/3 Cleans/3 Push Presses
-Muscles burning=stop and rest (let the clock continue).
Pick-up where you left off:
4 Deadlifts/4 Cleans/4 Push Presses
5 Deadlifts/5 Cleans/5 Push Presses
1 Round Complete. Start over at 1 and continue until 5 minutes is up.

 

 

Deadlift

 

    

 

 

 

Clean

 

    

Push Press

 

 

 

 

Right Lunge/Squat/Left Lunge/Squat Jump

 

                           

 

 

 

Pull-Up
 

 



 

 

Assisted Pull-Up

 

 

 

 

Push-Up

 

 

 

 

Squat Thrust

 

 

 







Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was trying to decide between these cookies and toll house cookies. I looked at the nutrition label on both and quickly chose the healthy ones. They are the lesser evil. The nutrition facts are for 1 cookie.

Toll House Cookies

4.5 grams fat

9 grams carbs

0.9 grams protein

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

0.9 grams fat

8 grams carbs

3 grams protein

Ingredients

3 bananas

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1.5 cups old fashioned oats

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Protein Waffles

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 scoop Gold Standard Whey French Vanilla Crème (vanilla flavored protein powder)

1 Large Egg

1 Egg White

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats

2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

 

 

Directions

 

Mix all ingredients together and pour into waffle maker. Remove and enjoy when done!

 

*Makes 2 regular size waffles

 

Macros (for 2 waffles, no topping)

 

Fat 7.5 grams

Carbs 15.8 grams

Protein 36.7 grams

 

 

Cleaning Up Nutrition

I told my Facebook followers last week that I would be limiting foods (for 1 week) that I know make me bloated. This includes dairy, grains, peanut butter, and added sugar. I did not cut out these foods completely-I did not consume them for every meal and most I did not consume every day.

My results are not drastic but there is still a change. I also feel less 'bloated'. Take in mind, I have been regularly exercising & eating well.

I ate:
-peanut butter 3x (2x were peanut butter protein balls after a workout, 1x was 1 tablespoon of peanut butter as a topping)
-dairy 5x (ice cream/frozen yogurt 2 nights, low-fat cheese on my zucchini pizza, cheddar cheese on a salad, fried cheese on my BURGER)
-grains (whole) were eaten before & after workouts 6 days and for breakfast the 7th day
I did my best to limit added sugar-most of that sugar was in the peanut butter & ice cream!

Before:Left, After: Right

You do not have to completely cut out foods that you love-you can limit them. You will still see & feel changes! Over time, you become better at saying 'no' to your cravings & choosing healthier options for yourself. This healthy lifestyle is a journey and you will not complete it in one day!

You should try this out for a week! Take pictures & write down what you eat and when. I can guarantee you will at least not 'feel' as bloated by the end of the week! Nutrition is key in performing, feeling & looking well!


*Side note: this is what your pierced belly button looks like after it has expanded with pregnancy. Ha! Maybe, one day, it will look 'normal' again. And you can also see how I do not have a visible 6-pack! I will keep things real for you!

20 Minute Total-Body Workout

 

I did this workout for the first time in this video. Since I have 2 kids and a husband, a lot of the time it is easier to workout at home. We do not have a basement or spare room, and our living room is full of baby & toddler toys. As you can tell by this video, I found plenty of room to do this workout in our bedroom! Not only is that awesome, but this workout kicked butt-I loved it! I was sweating and breathing hard and even needing breaks. I could tell I was working hard and working well. A lot of times, it's difficult for me to find a challenging & high quality workout to do in the comfort of my own home-with the small amount of gym equipment I do have.

 

The workout includes cardio and weight training elements so you get the best of both worlds! Also, this can be categorized as a total-body workout. All muscles in your body will be working hard! You'll feel great at the end too, because you will know you pushed hard! This is also considered a metabolic chain workout to help your metabolism get on track to burn fat and build muscle. Now that is some goodness I always want a piece of!

 

Before you try this, let me give you a few tips:

-Rest when you need to! This allows you to push harder and have impeccable form while doing so (prevent injuries & increase the quality of your workout)

-Go at your own pace. Do not follow me. If you can go faster, do so. If you need to go slower, go slower. It will get done either way.

 

You will need an incline bench (if you do not have one, no worries), a stopwatch or clock as well as 2 medium-weight (for you!) dumbbells. I used 8 pounds-probably could have done more, that was all I had-and it was still a great workout!

 

20 Minute Total-Body Workout

 

1: Crunch/Sit-up/Squat Jump

Do 1 of each, then 2 of each....all the way til 5 of each. Do as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 5 minutes.

 

2: Push-up/Batman/Squat Jump

Do 1 of each, then 2 of each...all the way til 5 of each. AMRAP in 5 minutes.

 

3: Shrug/Upright Row/Front Raise

Do 1 of each, then 2 of each...all the way til 5 of each. AMRAP in 5 minutes.

 

4: Incline Press/Tricep Extension/Bent-over Row/Curl (used the floor if you do not have an incline bench)

Do 1 of each, then 2 of each...all the way til 5 of each. AMRAP in 5 minutes.

 

=20 minutes!

Hybrid Home Workout

 

Clean/Front Squat/Push Press

Lunge/Curl

Pushup/Row

 

Do 8 repetitions of each exercise. Go from one to the next without rest. If you need to rest, do so, and then hop back in where you left off. Do as many rounds as possible in a 20 minute time-frame. Each time you do this hybrid home workout, try to beat the amount of rounds you did last time.

 I managed to do 4 rounds total plus 4 cleans/front squats/push press in the 20 minutes. Not perfect but I have room for improvement!

 

If you are looking for a way to burn fat and gain muscle, you have come to the right place! This workout can be done at home or at the gym. It is a combination of cardio and weight training that will have you sweating. The point of the entire workout is to help you burn fat by balancing your fat burning hormones. Ideally, it will allow you to burn fat after your workout is complete. Yes, you can burn fat while you are resting! Check out http://www.metaboliceffect.com for more detailed information on how to eat and exercise to make your body a fat burning and muscle building machine.

 

 

I have only 2 rounds for you to watch in this video. You may notice how I am still getting into the rhythm of each exercise with the first round. Every time I did the lunge/curl combo, I counted 1 repetition as lunging with my right AND left leg. Also, you may need to experiment with the weight you want to use. Trial and error. I am only using 8 pound dumbbells and a 50 pound barbell. And I am struggling near the end. Maybe that will help you determine where you need to be!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Velvet Protein Muffins

When you have a bad sweet tooth like I do, you have to find healthier substitutes to make up for those donuts, muffins, and cinnamon buns that you would really like for breakfast. I found this recipe while I was browsing Instagram. These can also be made into donuts if you have a donut pan. And I suppose you could also call these cupcakes. Yum!

 

Ingredients

 

Muffins-

 

1 egg

1 egg white (1.5 Tablespoons liquid egg whites)

1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 Tablespoon stevia

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 teaspoon cocoa (I used dark cocoa)

2 Tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 cup oat flour (grind/grate old fashioned oats into 1/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 

Frosting-

 

2 Tablespoons cream cheese

1 Tablespoon vanilla protein powder

1/2-1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring (optional)

 

Turn oven to 350 degrees. Add all muffin ingredients together and stir. Place 6 muffin liners in a muffin/cupcake tray. Spray the liners with coconut oil. Evenly distribute the muffin mixture into the 6 liners (about 2/3 of the way full). Place the tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Once the muffins are done and cooled, mix the frosting ingredients together and add to the top of your muffins.

Enjoy!

 

Nutritional information for 1 muffin (includes frosting):

Fat 3.8 grams

Carbs 5.8 grams

Protein 11.8 grams

Calories 105

 

Turkey Jalapeno Chili

This chili dish is tasty on a cold (or warm) night. It will satisfy your hunger with whole foods and please your taste buds. 5-6 bowls can be served with this dish.

 

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (99% lean is ordeal)

1.5 cups salsa

1 can black beans

1 red onion

1 red pepper
1 stalk celery

1 jalapeno

1 tomato

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cilantro

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon taco seasoning (optional)

1 small can no salt-added tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

salt & pepper to taste

 

Brown the ground turkey on the stove. Add it to the crockpot along with the salsa. I used a jalapeno flavored salsa I found that also had no added sugar.

Open and rinse off the black beans. Add those along with your rinsed & chopped red onion, red pepper, celery, jalapeno (seeded), and tomato to the crockpot.

Next, add all your seasonings, tomato sauce, and water and stir around to distribute the seasonings throughout.

Put a few shakes of salt and pepper on top & stir again.

Turn the crockpot on low for 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally to avoid any sticking or burning the bottom of the pot.

 

Enjoy with a side salad and with your favorite people!

 

*you can also add more veggies and/or kidney beans. This may call for extra tomato sauce & water. 



PBfit Banana Protein Shake

 

 

I LOVE this shake! It is practically a dessert for me. I have been trying to add more muscle to my body to be stronger, to lose fat, and to reshape. To do this, I have had to add a bit more protein to my normal day. The majority of my protein comes from other things (eggs/egg whites, chicken, beef, pork, turkey, greek yogurt), but at least once a day I get to enjoy my shake! Sometimes, on a big workout day, I get a taste of heaven twice!

 

The 3 times that I may have my shake are:

1) after my workout-whether it is in the morning, afternoon, or evening. I try to get it in (at the latest) at 30 minutes after my workout ends.

2) as a little breakfast when I am rushed (usually Sunday mornings) and do not have enough time to make a full breakfast.

3) as an afternoon snack when I haven't had any protein for a few hours.

 

I have also added some BCAAs to my routine when I wake up, before my workout, and then again before I go to bed. I may write a later post about those!

 

Here are all your ingredients:

 

 

The banana looks weird because it's frozen. I'm usually too lazy to peel and cut them up before I put them in the freezer!

 

 

First, get your blender ready. Add 1/2 a cup of Almond Milk (I prefer vanilla flavored).

 

 

 

 

Next, add your powders. I choose to add 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream flavored protein powder first.

 

Pop in 2 Tablespoons of your PBfit...

 



 

 

...and then slice and peel your frozen banana (if you freeze them whole like me!) and place it into the blender.

 

 

 

The last thing to add is the ice. I like to add about 3/4-1 cup of regular sized ice cubes. Depending on the consistency that you want in your smoothie, you may have to experiment a few times before you get it right.

 

 

 

I place my blender on high, and then push the grate button, which is the lowest setting. You can blend it however you want. I like my smoothie thick so I can use a spoon-it reminds me of ice cream! You may need to stop it and stir it around once to get any ice or banana down into the blades. Pour it into a cup and enjoy!

 

 



 

 

Nutritional Information:

322 calories

6.7 grams fat

36.8 grams carbs

29.9 grams protein

38.3% dv vitamin C

35.1% dv calcium

22.8% dv iron

 

If you want less carbs, take out the banana or add only half. A medium banana has around 23 carbs.