Quick and Easy Egg Muffins!

I needed to make supper and had little time! So I decided it would be a breakfast for dinner kind of night and made some of these delicious egg muffins! Luckily, I got a picture of the last one before it was eaten! 

Easy Egg Muffins

Oven to 350

Spray muffin tin with whatever you want to use for non-stick

In bowl, whisk 4 eggs

Add cut up peppers, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms

Mix in about a half cup of cheese 

Evenly pour the mixture into 6 tins. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes! 

Apple Peanutbutter Dip!

Need a quick and easy snack? This was so good! I love Pinterest :)

Apple Peanutbutter Dip!

1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt

1/2 c peanutbutter

1/4 c honey

Mix, dip and enjoy! 

Keep refrigerated! 

JJ also enjoyed some fruit! 

Toasted Chicken Sandwich

I decided to share this because it was really delicious :) It was quick and super easy! 

Toasted Chicken Sandwich with sweet potato fries 

Lucky for me, George grills me chicken ;)

And I cut up some yummy veggies for toppings! 

Ingredients:

- 1 chicken breast, cooked 

- a couple slices of Swiss cheese

- slice of tomato 

- couple cucumber slices

- mushrooms 

- onion slice 

- 2 pieces 100% whole wheat bread, toasted 

- spinach 

Instructions: 

Turn oven to 425

Place toast on baking sheet, topped with chicken, cheese, tomato, mushroom, and onion 

Cook for 5 or so minutes

Take out, top with the rest of the ingredients, cut in half, and eat! 

Whole Wheat Waffles- sugar free

Heyo!

I made some delicious whole wheat waffles today! Just wanted to share the recipe because not every recipe out there turns out yummy!

The recipe is here

In addition, I also added 1/4 cup of ground flax seed :)

Happy cooking!

Roasted Garlic Veggies

Simple and yummy recipe I found for those beloved veggies we need but dread to eat. Well I do anyway!! 

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower and Broccoli 

Ingredients:

- 1 head cauliflower chopped

- 1 head broccoli chopped

- Drizzling of olive oil (I actually used the spray olive oil)

- Salt and Pepper

- Garlic Salt/Powder

Put veggies into a pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle the salt, pepper and garlic over it. 

Bake covered for 30 minutes. Stir and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes. 

I am actually going to store the majority of it in Tupperware and pull out during the week for a quick grab! 

Simple and easy!

What I have been eating!

Just wanted to give you an update of some of the YUMMY things I have been eating/making! 

Cheesy Stuffed Peppers

These were a great quick and easy snack, appetizer or side!

Stuff mini peppers with string cheese, broil for 10 minutes!

100% Whole Wheat Crust Pizza

I am super happy that this turned out! Get the recipe for the crust here!

I topped the pizza with Enricho's All Natural Pizza Sauce, chicken, peppers, onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese! It was delicious!

Avocado, Cucumber, and Tomato Open-faced Sandwich

This has been my quick and easy go-to lunch! 

100% whole wheat bread, topped with 1/4 mashed avocado, 2 slices tomato, and 2 slices cucumber!

THANKS FOR READING!!

UPDATE on my journey to a better me!

So it has been a little over one month since I started the 24 day challenge. Although I am not still doing the challenge, I did continue to take some Advocare products. Just because I fell in love with them! I am still taking:

-Spark (mental focus drink)
-Meal Replacement Shake
-MNS 3 (I did one more round of the max phase)
-Catalyst

I lost an ADDITIONAL 1% body fat and and 1 point BMI!!

That is a total of 4% body fat lost and BMI went from 26.3 to 23.9... IN ONE MONTH!!!!

And then as of this morning, I have lost a total of 10 pounds!

I feel great!

Here are some pictures for you :)

Easy one man pizza!

Here is a simple and yummy recipe to satisfy that pizza craving when you are, well- just one!

Whatever you want to put on it Pizza :)

Ingredients (that I used):
-1 c cherry tomatoes
-1/2 c chopped onions
-1/2 c chopped peppers
-1 diced cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken
-1 whole wheat tortilla or flat bread
- olive oil
- oregano/whatever spices you want to use
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Toss tomatoes and veggies in olive oil and spices
3. Roast veggies on baking sheet until blistered and golden (15-20min)
4. Remove from oven
5. Adjust oven to broil, and put rack about 4 inches about heat
6. Place tortilla on a baking sheet
7. Layer cheese, chicken, and veggies on top of tortilla
8. Broil until cheese is melted and edges are golden (2-3 min)

enjoy!!!

New King Ranch Casserole Recipe!

A few nights ago I made a recipe- it was very yummy! So yummy even Luke liked it! Then its really good :)

New King Ranch Casserole
taken from Whole Foods Market website

Ingredients:
2 Bell Peppers
1 bunch swiss chard (I did not have this so I used spinach)
1 Yellow onion
1 Can of cream of chicken soup
12 Corn tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas) split in half
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
2.5 cups shredded cheese
2 lb frozen chicken breast

Preheat oven to 350F. Put chicken into large pot, cover with water and bring to boil. Skim off and discard any foam, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through about 10 minutes. Drain and set chicken aside to cool, and then chop roughly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine peppers, onions, soup and tomatoes.

Layer one-third of tortillas in bottom of oiled 9x13 dish.
Top with one-third of chard, one-third of chicken, one-third of veggie mix, then one-third cheese.

Repeat process two or more times.

Bake uncovered until bubbly and golden brown, 50-60 minutes

Nutrition Info: per serving (8 total)
320 cal/ 7g fat/ 2.5g sat fat/ 85mg chol/ 890mg sodium/ 27g carb/ 38g protein

New Recipe! Island Soyaki Chicken and Rice!

I finally got a chance to get around to trying Trader Joe's Island Soyaki marinade! It is a blend of soy sauce, teriyaki, and other things :) It was a great way to satisfy my chinese food craving! Here is what I made:

Island Soyaki Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
-Trader Joe's Island Soyaki marinade
-6 chicken breasts
-1 cup brown rice (prepared as package instructs)
-1/2 cup diced peppers (any color)
-1/2 cup diced onion
-1/4 cup diced mushrooms
-1 scrambled egg
- 1 cup of a frozen veggie blend (carrots, peas, corn, etc) Cook according to package instructions

-Marinade defrosted chicken in Island Soyaki for atleast 30 minutes. Dice and cook in pan.
-Sauté  onions, mushrooms, and peppers. Add to already cooked brown rice. Add egg and veggie blend. Add a little bit of marinade to taste.

Serve chicken over rice and enjoy!

Being prepared: Snacks on hand

NUTS. Nuts are my go to.

When I am craving a snickers bar. When I am at a baby shower with ridiculous looking desserts. When I am on the go and so hungry I want to pull into Mc Donalds... nuts is what saves me. If I have them on hand when those moments arise- it is the best life saver!

So as I am preparing to go back to work and back into reality- I am trying to prepare myself and set myself up for success!

So I am making these "go to" bags of nuts for when I am going nuts and need something to munch on!
I stook some in my purse and diaper bag so they are ready when I am desperate :)

Trader Joe's Finds, Chicken Quesadilla and an easy Salmon recipe!

Even though my challenge is now technically over, I am still really enjoying finding new and better foods!

Today I made Cajun Salmon

- I just used frozen salmon, defrosted in a Ziplock bag under Luke warm water in a bowl. 

-preheat oven to 375

-spray pan with butter or you can use oil 

-place salmon on pan, season with Cajun seasoning

-bake for 8-12 minutes until fish flakes when poked with fork.

I am not a huge fish person but I thought it tasted yummy! 

I also made a Chicken Quesadilla! Quick and easy!

-whole wheat tortilla

-chicken, shredded

-1/4 cup cut up peppers and onions

- cilantro

- mushrooms

- a few slices of cheese

- a few slices of avocado 

- a couple slices of tomato chopped

- salsa

Heat pan on oven over low-medium heat. Spray with butter or use oil. 

Place tortilla on pan, arrange all ingredients (except salsa) on half tortilla. 

Flip over the other half of tortilla. 

Let sit for about 10 seconds and then flip whole tortilla to other side until lightly browned and crispy!

Top with salsa! Yum!!

Honestly, before I started the challenge- I had the mindset that it was way too hard to eat healthy and it had to be expensive. So not true! I have been able to find awesome/healthy foods without breaking the bank or sacrificing taste! 

My newest find includes Trader Joe's Quinoa and Black bean Tortilla Chips. 

My biggest finding is the half amount of sodium it has and also the ingredients! Tostitos Multigrain chips contains 135mg of sodium where these contain 50mg for the same serving size. I honestly think they taste great! Especially with this Cowboy Caviar! :)

Also- compare the ingredients in each.. 

Trader Joe's

My other find includes marinade for meat. I have been looking for something that would be a healthier option than the general marinades you can get at the store. I found this at Trader Joes!

Lawry's Marinade Ingredients

Once again it contains less sodium than, for example, Lawry's Teriyaki Marinade. But also- look at the ingredients! Lawry's also includes High Fructose Corn Syrup,Hydrolyzed  corn syrup and a bunch of other stuff I can't pronounce! A general rule that a friend told me was- 

"If you can't pronounce it, then don't eat it!" 

So I will be trying this marinade sometime this week! I will let you know how we like it!

But there you go, some of my findings and "learnings" for today! 

THANKS FOR READING!

24 Day Challenge RESULTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If this is the one and only post you have read of mine- good! THIS IS THE BEST ONE! I am so excited to say that all this hard work PAID OFF! And the best part is- this is just the beginning, I am going to CONTINUE to lose weight and become more healthy!!

First of all, THANK YOU Advocare for these products and this challenge that helped me get this far. I honestly would not have been able to do this without their help- so easily anyway (without starving myself!!)

Before I go into the results- I must say that one of the biggest things I have taken away from this challenge- is not that I lost some weight, or that I feel better about myself- but that I learned something very valuable that I will cherish- a lifestyle change. I learned (and am still learning!) how to live a healthy lifestyle while living my normal life! I loved doing this challenge (versus other "diets") because how I ate during the challenge is how I can continue eating! This was not a diet that is going to force me back to eating junk because "I missed it" or I was starved the whole time. I ate food, meals, and snacks that I can realistically continue and enjoy!! I am building a habit. I am making a change. I am walking into a direction to be a better and more healthier me. And that is something that no money can buy, no product can do, and no one can give me but myself. It was a self decision. A choice. A sacrifice. BUT SO WORTH IT!

OK ENOUGH with the sappy-ness... lets get on to results!!

To start out with- in only 24 days (even less than a month's worth of time!)

I lost a total of 8 pounds!

Now poundage is always nice to lose but I believe more valuable to me are the other numbers I am about to tell you...

I lost 4.5 inches total off my waist, hips, and thighs! (1.5 off my waist, 1 off my hips and 2 off my thighs!)

AND THEN even MORE SO.. Before I started, my body fat % was 30%. Average they say is 25-31%.

I lost 3.3% Body Fat bringing me down to 26.7%!!

BMI I went from 26.3 to 24.9!!! Normal is 18.5 to 24.9- I am now within normal range!

I am so pleased with my results! And the best part is- I AM GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOSE! OH YEAH!!!

AND I am also SO PROUD of my partners in crime, who stuck with me through this challenge with me. Luke lost a total of 12 pounds and 1.5% body fat!! I am so proud of him! And my faithful companion J.V. lost 6lbs, 1% body fat (and she was already in the "fitness" range!), and a total of 5.5 inches! And the best part is- we did this all within 24 days and we will continue to keep losing!!!

The 24 day challenge was the best thing I could have done for my body. I have so much more energy (especially with a 3 month old!), I feel great, and losing weight, and will continue it!

THANK YOU to those that have supported me! I could not have done this without my hubby, my friend J, my sis and my family.

THANK YOU FOR READING!! 

PS- If you would like to hear more about how I did the challenge with Advocare- please ask me! I had such a great experience and would love to help others have the same!

Day 20: SO GOOD

Yesterday I went to Mat Pilates at the Y- seriously havent done that in like a year, for sure before I got pregnant. And I was like rolling all over the place. Everyone else is like able to control themselves with their abs while holding certain moves and I was just trying to not look like a fool! HA! That was fun. But atleast I tried right???

Last night Luke and I went on a date. We went to Good Earth in Roseville and... IT WAS SO GOOD. I might have gotten a little excited about the nachos- unsalted corn chips. black beans. chicken. cheese. salsa and guac. YUM. The only thing that I think might have been pushing the limit of the challenge was the cheese. Well- if I had one cheat day- this was it!!

And then I had an all natural burger on whole wheat bun with a side salad. IT WAS AWESOME.

And then........ I did it.... I ordered dessert. BAD ME! BUT it was gluten free!!!! :) So come on- I made way better choices then going to Applebees next door and getting a burger with fries and a blondie for dessert!!

After we went to see Despicable Me 2- cute movie! But pretty sure for every adult in the theater there were 3 kids. lol. It was still fun :)

So approve or not approve of my date night indulgences- it was much needed.

THANKS FOR READING!

Day 18 and 19! Quick and easy protein snack!

I just wanted to share with you a snack I made today!

Baked Turkey and Egg

- slice of turkey or chicken breast 

-one egg

-pepper, season to taste 

Preheat oven to 375. 

Place turkey slice in muffin tin

Crack egg inside 

Bake for 20 minutes!

Yum!

Happy Friday!

Day 15, 16 and Today 17! Enouragement!! Quinoa Recipe!

I have been a TERRIBLE blogger! This is why I will keep my "day" job! (Even though right now I am not working and I dont only work days but every other hour of the day) BUT ANYWAYS!

I feel encouraged today!! I am on Day 17! Over the halfway mark, over the mountaintop and now on the downhill! (kind of anyways). It has become much easier to resist foods that I once before could not withhold from myself. It feels great! I am learning to have self control! :D

PLUS I weighed myself today- and I am not going to tell you my results yet but I am SUPER PLEASED! :D

Anyway- I have a recipe for you!

Jenna and Brittany's Quinoa Recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 c. Quinoa
- 1 zucchini
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 lime
- some garlic powder
- sprinkles of pepper
- sprinkles of italian seasoning
- avocado

(as you can tell- we just added things as we went and were not really measuring... So just season to taste!)

1. Cook quinoa according to the directions on the box.
2. Sautee veggies
3. Combine quinoa and veggies
4. Add seasonings and lime
5. Top with avocado!

IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

But I just wanted to share a little bit about what has been on my mind and heart and share some encouragement to those that have been, were/are or wanting to lose weight/get in shape/etc.

Honestly speaking- I did not think I would be able to do the challenge... I thought I wouldn't make it through! It's so dumb, but I did not think I would be able to resist sweets and be able to cook healthy. I am a terrible cook- or I thought I was! But really I just needed to try and allow myself time and room for error. I feel much more confident now! Some other thoughts of things that I have been learning are...

- Its a battle of convenience versus whats the best choice. I constantly need to remind myself to "be prepared"and have things on hand for when hunger strikes. Nuts, fruit, anything healthy that I can grab and go- I need to have it with me! 

-Every decision, small or big, will take me in one of two directions: toward my goal or away from it. It is a constant battle to make healthy decisions and often times I find myself trying to compromise. "Well, its a special occasion." "Its one time." "It really isnt that big of a deal." WRONG!!! It is!! One decision leads to another, and then you end up right back where you started- stuck!

-It takes commitment and hard work- you cannot live a healthy life halfhearted! 

-Do no be ashamed of your hard work!  When others complement you- say thank you! You deserve to be recognized! Honestly- I would shy away when people would start noticing that I have lost weight... WHY SHOULD I??? I worked so flippin hard, I want to be proud of what I have done! And when people see your results- it encourages them to kick their butt into gear too!! :)

- One of the biggest reasons why I feel I am being successful is... I am not doing it alone! If it wasnt for my husband Luke and friend Jamie.... I would have cheated a million times. I probably actually wouldnt have even made it past day 1. It is so much better when you have someone asking you "What did you do today? How did you eat?" and just to encourage one another! Even though my friend Jamie and I would just text here and there... Just that little encouragement and accountability really makes a difference!

 Thank you for reading!!

 

 

 

Day 12 and Day 13! Flourless Peanutbutter Chocolate Chip Blondies!

Yesterday we went to a wedding and I was super nervous about what I would eat for supper there- but more in particular... dessert!! So I took it as a challenge and made my own dessert! It was super tasty!!

Flourless Peanutbutter Chocolate Chip Blondies
Recipe by "Detoxinista"

Ingredients:
- 1 cup natural creamy PB (pref organic)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 whole egg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (if unsalted PB)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup dark choc chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 350, grease 8" pan with butter or coconut oil
2. In bowl mix PB, honey, egg, salt, and baking soda until well combined- then fold in choc chips
3. Pour batter into pan, use spatula to smooth top
4. Bake for 20-25 min until top is light golden brown
5. Let cool then cut and serve!

SERIOUSLY SO GOOD!!!!!

Today I had family over for lunch and I made chicken tacos! I made brown rice and black beans and then had wheat tortillas. Was delicious and filling!

This challenge has had its rough times but I am seriously learning so much. I am learning a lot about foods but also about self control! Which I have lacked!

A very positive and encouraging moment for me today... I tried on a skirt that I havent worn since starting the challenge- and it is definitely way more loose!!!! And it was borderline tight before! Woo hoo!

THANKS FOR READING!

Day 12! Half way there! Hawaiian Chicken Salad and No Bake Energy BiteRecipes!

Today was a great day. I got to meet up with a friend for lunch. She is a great resource for me in healthy eating. Thank you Allison for today and for the energy bites recipe! They turned out great! We got to bounce ideas off each other on different recipes, ingredients, etc. It was great to hear, from her experience, what she likes to use and what works!

 Here is the recipe for the energy bites!

No Bake Energy Bites

1 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (or wheat germ)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup + 1 tsp honey

Stir all ingredients together and roll into balls.
Chill for 30 minutes

OK- so here is a tip. Flaxseed- you can buy it at the store already ground up (which I did not know). So  I just bought the whole seeds... WHICH YOU HAVE TO GROUND. Google says to use a coffee grinder- but I do not have one! So I used my food processor and................. it took forever. But it eventually did work! Make sure you ground it up enough that the shell is broken.

After you roll them into balls- make sure to lick your fingers because you will have lots of gooey mixture on them- and its good :)

These are so good I think I might get addicted. But I will practice self control!! These will be a good alternative to fixing my sweet tooth after supper.

I tried to find some nutritional info on these- here is a "guess" of what the nutrition might be..

Serving size: 1 ball
Calories: 100 Total Fat: 9g Saturated: 3g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 25mg Potassium: 0mg
Total Carbs: 15g Dietary Fiber: 4g Sugars: 9g Protein: 5g

And then for supper I made

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Salad

Here is the recipe!

-1 lb Chicken breasts/tenders
-BBQ Sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Line pan with tinfoil. Place defrosted chicken on pan. (If using frozen chicken-double cooking time). Drizzle chicken with BBQ sauce.

Place chicken in oven for 30 minutes or until chicken cooked all the way through. Flip chicken over half way through and drizzle other side with BBQ sauce.

Place chicken over salad. Top with tomato, onion, avocado, and pinneaple! YUMMY!

Please share any recipes you have!

Thank you for reading!!!! 

Days 9, 10, and 11: cleanse is done! Max phase has begun! 3 new recipes !!

I am so happy the cleanse phase is now over! I am happy for many reasons but one of the main reason is that the Max phase is when you start really seeing results! I have already noticed my arms are much more toned, my energy level is much higher (and considering I have a 2 month old!), I feel great, and I have already lots poundage! Woo hoo!!

One thing that I am seriously learning and practicing during the challenge is self control. In the Max phase, we have a little bit more freedom on our food. I added some fun to my diet.... "Cocoa". Yes, I know I have an addiction. And cocoa sounds so much more healthy than chocolate. BUT I am learning to take it in moderation and health. 

Last night I made cocoa peanut butter banana ice cream: 

- 2 cups cut and froze bananas

- 2 tbsp peanut butter

- 2 tsp 100% cocoa

Let frozen bananas sit out and defrost for about 10 minutes. Blend in food processor. Put all the ingredients together together in a bowl and mix.

Then eat :) tip: don't blend and mix until you are ready to eat. The ice cream does not freeze over well... It's difficult to eat once the whole thing is frozen!

Honestly, I like banana but not a huge fan of banana mixed in things. Like this recipe. Or the banana pancake recipes, etc. but I am getting use to it! I made this recipe tolerable by adding some unsalted nuts and some 60% dark chocolate chips 😁 just a few....

And then tonight, we made one of the yummiest meals yet that I have had since being on the challenge! 

Turkey Burgers with Veggies and potato fries!

Confession: I might have over ate this meal a little bit.....

Turkey Burger recipe (from scratch) 

1 lb 93% ground turkey

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

A few dashes of garlic 

Some dashes of Cajun, pepper, paprika, and other spices you might want. 

A little bit of BBQ sauce 

1. Wash your hands- you need to use your bare hands for this 😁 

Mush the ground turkey so it is all mixed and sticking together, mix in onion, then the spices and BBQ sauce. 

2. Form turkey into 4 patties. 

3. Grill on each side for a few minutes. 

4. Put on 100% whole wheat thinwhich top with pineapple, avocado, lettuce, tomato and a little bit of BBQ sauce!

Potato Wedge Fries! 

Take 4 medium size potatoes (I used red- next time I think I will try sweet potatoes)

Slice them into wedges

Toss in canola oil or whatever you want to use for cooking. 

Sprinkle with thyme seasoning

Bake in oven at 450 for 20 minutes. Turn half way through. So yummy! 

For dessert I had a small handful of unsalted nuts and some of those chocolate chips!

Good day! Great energy! Feeling awesome! 

Thank you for reading!!

Day 7 and Day 8! Soccer, the BIGGEST temptation day so far, and New Recipe! Hawaiian Turkey Burgers!

DAY 7 was a hard day! Filled with lots of challenges! But I think I did a pretty good job at overcoming. Went over to my parents house for lunch and they had CHICKEN ENCHILADAS. CHEESY chicken enchiladas. Are you kidding me?? I was going to die. Just watching everyone dish up their plate while I waited for my chicken to finish grilling for my salad.... It was so hard. But I kept telling myself-

 I can do it! It is worth it! It will pay off!! It is the little good decisions made that will turn into a great reward!!

Later on we had our soccer game. I do not play soccer. The only time I had ever played soccer before was on River's school soccer team on away games. #1 I didnt even go to the school #2 The only reason I got to play is because they were short players and I knew the coach. YUP. But I tried really hard! And it must have paid off because we won our game last night! WOO HOO!! It was a lot of fun and great exercise!

And then after the game came the most challenging part of the challenge so far. We met up with some friends for dinner and we went to the Green Mill. It was so hard picking something off of the menu that was a good choice over all of the other delicious things I kept seeing on the menu. I went with a salad. It actually was really good and I was feeling satisfied. UNTIL... our friend, who was sitting directly across from me, gets a HUGE piece of strawberry cheesecake placed right in front of him. PRETTY MUCH right in front of me. AAAAAWWWWWWWWWW. Torcher!!! Even though my mouth was watering like non stop, I resisted and stayed content with my salad :).

DAY 8- Today! We went to Perkins with my grandma for lunch. No chicken tender melt, no pancakes, or everything omelet for me. I went with the Spinach and Baby Bella Scramble. Which I thought was really tasty! And I was very polite to the waitress when she asked if we wanted any pie- "no thank you!"

Tonight we are making Hawaiian Turkey Burgers!!
Turkey Burgers topped with fresh pineapple and BBQ sauce! My friend Anna picked me up some Ken Davis 2 Carb, no high-fructose corn syrup, zero sugar, and low sodium BBQ sauce. YUUM!

I am excited for this meal! Any meal ideas that you have for me??

Thank you for reading!! 

P.S. I have been getting a lot of response about people wanting more info about the challenge/wanting to do it. I am thinking that we will be doing another group challenge again this fall. If you are interested/want more info on it- please let me know!

P.S. #2.... WHO PUT THIS IN MY FREEZER?!?!?!?

Day 6!

Another Day has come and gone. I am kind of feeling like at this point I am getting the hang of this- which is great! But I am anxious to see results the final results. In just 6 days of changing the way I have been eating and taking the advocare products, I have felt so much more energetic. My body is starting to just feel good in general. No sick to my stomach, no feeling of overeating or "aaahh, why did I eat that or have that much...."I love that! It has really encouraged me to seek out a different way of eating and a healthier lifestyle. I loved working out before, and was pretty consistent with it, but never really had the healthy eating habits to go along with it. Working out was my "excuse" to eating junk. NOT ANYMORE! Not going to lie though- I do dream of having some Cold Stone, a Blondie, or even just some ice-cream! But now, knowing what I know and feeling the way that I feel- I can have self control. And still let myself "indulge" every once in a while ;)

SO TODAY-

I went to a bridal shower... Honestly, I was almost not going to go just for the fact I did not want to be tempted with yummy food that I cannot eat. But I convinced myself to go, plus that was a dumb reason not to... and this would give me an opportunity to strengthen my good eating habit skills! So I get to the party, and there was awesome looking pizza, cookies, chips and salsa, fruit and veggies. I went right for the fruit and veggies. I can do this. I then looked at the chips and it looked like there were some blue corn chips- I just grabbed a couple along with the salsa ;). But I was happy and proud that I could resist and withhold from eating all the other things! (Huge accomplishment for me!)

Another thing I realized... I am a snacker. So I always try to have on the grab things to have; just in case. If you have been reading my blog, you have noticed that nuts have been that go-to. So I brought those with me today, along with my other snacks today I had a clementine, 100% whole wheat toast with peanut butter, and I also bought something new... I am not 100% sure if it is "legal" to have or not- but I thought it would be good to try...

Brown Rice Triscuit.... anyone tried these? I had a couple of the Herb Cheese & Roasted Tomato kind- I thought they tasted pretty good! Any feedback on what you think about them? Are they a "good choice"?

But anyway, so for lunch I had leftover bean burrito- again :) It is good, I had leftovers- so why not.

For supper I made shrimp and made some sort of a wrap with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and a little bit of WF honey dijon. It was delish :) aaaaand... then I had a spoonful of peanutbutter for dessert!

Now I am starting to meal plan for next week. Any suggestions for meals???


THANK YOU FOR READING!!!

Day 5! Taco Salad and Zumba Black light Party!

So today was alot of fun. Went to turbo this morning and then got to see some friends I haven't seen in a while! 

Breakfast I had the meal replacement shake

Snack: 2 turkey beef sticks

Lunch: left over bean burrito with strawberries and blueberries 

Snack: nuts

Dinner: I made Taco Salad. It is a different type of taco salad- made with ground turkey. It was delicious! 

There is a picture of a picture :) I did not eat chips with it or the cheese. 

Taco Salad 

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup reduced- fat sour cream

1 tsp canola oil

1 medium chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound 93% lean ground beef (I actually used 99%)

2 diced tomatoes 

1 14ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

8 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine salsa and sour cream in bowl

2. Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic- 2 minutes- until soft. 

3. Add turkey- stir often until cooked

4. Add tomatoes, beans, cumin and chili powder- stir until tomatoes breakdown. Remove from heat 

5. Stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup of salsa mixture

6. Add lettuce to remaining mixture: toss 

AND THEN....

My sister, Jenna, and I got a little adventurous and went to a Zumba black light party. LOL- it was awesome! We had so much fun! Although I can't move my hips or shake my butt very well- we were probably the most comical there :)

Thank you for reading!

Day 4! Black Bean and Rice Burritos

Heyo! Day 4 of the cleanse and still feel like I am doing pretty well with the diet! I took the day off from working out and Jalen and I spent the day at the pool :)

My meals for the day:

Breakfast: meal replacement shake

Snack: turkey beef sticks and a hard boiled egg

Lunch: Turkey on whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, avocado, and tomato with Rice chips

Snack: strawberries with raw nuts

Dinner: Black Bean and Brown Rice Burritos. 
I messed up the rice :(. I didn't cook it long enough or maybe did not add enough water. Anyone have a favorite brand of brown rice and how you cook it? But anyway, the brand were great! 

I sautéed onions in butter, added peppers, cilantro, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and other spices. Then added drained and rinsed black beans along with a can of tomatoes and green chilies. I also added some salsa. 

I put them in a whole wheat tortilla topped with lettuce and avocado. It was delicious!

My cinnamon apple thing from yesterday didn't work as well as I intended... Will be trying to bake it in the oven instead tonight!

Please let me know what "healthy" desserts you make and brown rice ideas!