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!

Day 3! Setting myself up for success, trader joes, garbage salad, Curb the sweet tooth craving!

Yay! Another day almost to an end! Honestly though, the end of the day is the hardest! Last night I was craving something sweet so bad! I ended up sitting down with a bag of left over rice chip crumbs. I know, not the best choice but it was better then me riding my bike into town to pick up some Dairy Queen!!

Last night my 2 month old slept a 5 and a half hour stretch and then slept until 8! So I woke up energized and ready to go! (And I am sure a lot of that morning energy is due to spark!) 

I met up with a great friend of mine this morning at caribou coffee. I am not a coffee drinker but am a sucker for their breakfast sandwiches. I had already had a meal replacement shake so I didn't need to eat breakfast, but it is just a bad habit to eat one anyway! So in preparation I brought a clementine and some nuts :) And I avoided the sandwiches.

After, I went over to Trader Joes to just check it out. I havent been in there in a long time. I think I am going to find myself shopping there more often! Plus the prices really were not that bad- alot of the things were the same pricing as Cub! While there, I picked up some frozen peppers/onion mix, a nut trail mix, and a chicken salad wrap for lunch

I CHECKED THE LABEL :) It was Whole wheat, non-bleached tortilla, yada yada yada.... The only thing I was unsure about was the mayonaise in it... but I figured since it was from Trader Joes I could have it :D.

For supper I made a "garbage" salad. Dont get scared- it wasn't toppings from a garbage pizza! I just combined a bunch of random things that I had for a salad: chicken, yellow pepper, hard boiled egg, avocado, strawberries, blueberries, dried cranberries, tomato, and topped with my new salad dressing! It was yummy!

I then went to RIPPED then went to Cub and picked up some more tortillas, apples, oranges, and the salad dressing. I picked up apples because... I am trying a new recipe to curb that sweet tooth!!

Cinnamon Apples

Cut up an apple into thin slices. Spray the pan (stove top) with the non stick spray so the apple doesn’t burn. Cook on med-high and sprinkle cinnamon over the apple slices. 

Lastly, I wanted to just say that- it is amazing of what just 3 days of this has already done for me. I feel so much more energized and my body just feels so much better in general! I was talking with my friend Jamie who is doing the challenge also, and we both were just reflecting on how awesome we feel already! I am excited to see how as we continue to do the challenge how even more awesome we will feel!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! I appreciate the support!!! :)

And here is an "exclusive picture" of my babe Jalen :) love him!

Day 2! Avocado Chicken Salad and Tried the ketchup!

DAY TWO is coming to an end! Woo!! Yes I still have a buttload of more days to go, but I can celebrate every day I conquer! 

Started out the day with a HALF dose of Spark- a whole lot better! I still felt energized with a lot less jitterness! It was great. I even did better with the fiber drink! I didn't gag... just had to take some nice deep breaths with positive thinking :). Along with catalyst and meal replacement shake for breakfast.

Got off to the Y bright and early (for me anyway) to RIPPED. I love that class. I really like the music in this season. If you are a "RIPP-er"- my favorite song is the Intervals track. I don't know the name of it but I love the upbeat, dancy-ness to it (kind of like a twist). I have fun while burning calories! They say you burn 750-1000 calories per workout... I will take that!

For snack: clementine

Lunch: I made a simple Chicken Avocado Salad. George Foreman helped me out by grilling the chicken and then I cut them up into chunks, mixed it with avocado and tortilla'd it :). I added lettuce and tomato also! I also had a bell pepper with a little bit of Walden Farm Ranch and some strawberries.

Snack: A handful of unsalted raw nuts

Dinner: I had yesterday's leftover fajitas! yummy. And then the OmegaPlex.

Tonight I will try my hardest again to resist the sweets craving. I gave the rest of my Skinny Cow ice cream bars to Jenna (our roommate!) :) I also am making some Hard boiled eggs in the oven! They will be a great go-to snack and also something I can add to a salad!

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven
Set oven to 325 degrees
12 eggs in a muffin tin for 30 minutes
Cool down for 10 minutes in ice cold water!

I also tried the Walden Farms Ketchup! It wasnt bad at all! I mean obviously it tastes different from the "normal" but I think it is a worthy substitute!! So check it out! 

have a good night! 

24 Day Challenge Day 1 of Cleanse Phase!

We finally started! Today is Day 1!

This morning I woke up, drank Spark (nutritional energy drink- which happens to have to same amount of caffeine as an 8 oz cup of coffee), took 3 Catalysts, and fed my bebe. I got up, got ready and mixed up the fiber drink to down it.... GAG. Yup I gagged, initially, but sucked it up and got it down :). I think from now on it will be better now that I know what to expect. I still might dread it though. I washed it down with some water after. All better! Then I mixed up a meal replacement shake and headed off to the Y!

I made it to Turbo on time! Woo hoo! So I am in class, doing the warm up and we started our first round... Then all of a sudden- BAM! The spark kicked in. I have never taken it before, and NEVER drink caffeine. I don't drink coffee, don't drink pop or juice... pretty much drink water only. I all of a sudden felt so wired and energized! I was definelty "turbo" in class today :).

I have felt wired and somewhat jittery all day- might do a half dose tomorrow! But I feel great!

Snack: I had a cup of strawberries and blueberries.

Lunch: Grammy Janet wanted to go out to lunch- "crud" was my initial thought- but then I decided that I can handle making good choices :). We went to the cafe in town and I got a grilled chicken salad with peppers, onions, and cucumbers (hold the cheese please). And then I brought my own salad dressing! That worked out well!
Also took 3 more catalyst beforehand.

Snack: Banana and a handful of mini rice cakes. I was craving something crunchy. 

and then 2 turkey sausage sticks.

and 1/4 cup of nuts.

Not going to lie, I am definitely really hungry today. But I am going to eat to my hunger d/t me breastfeeding. Otherwise maybe I would try to hold back a little bit :) but I am so excited for supper!! :)

Dinner: For dinner I am making crockpot Chicken Fajitas! Yum! I will add the recipe. I also will take an OmegaPlex at this time.

CrockPot Chicken Fajitas:
-3 Chicken breasts
-1 medium onion
-1 large bell pepper
-1 tbsp cilantro
-chili powder
-garlic
-1 can diced tomatoes and green chili's. 

You can also add jalepeno, coriander, and other things... but didnt have them

Stick in crockpot on low for 4-5 hrs.

I havent decided what I will serve it with yet- 100% whole wheat tortillas, in lettuce wrap or with brown rice......

So far I feel like today is going very well! My jitters/anxious feeling finally slowed down around 3pm. Definitely will be doing the half portion of spark tomorrow!

Hopefully today continues to go well! I have a sushi making class tonight- but I wont be eating any! (Well-maybe just one!)

Lastly, I will take the Herbal Cleanse Tablet before bed :)

Have a great rest of your day! Thank you so much for reading!

Last Hoorah!

So today is the last free day before our challenge. So, naturally, we had to do a last "pig out" 😊. We went out to eat with some friends to Mongo's in MG. 

Yummy! Soup, salad, and stir fry. It was delish! Thanks Dan, Kasie, Bethany, and Evelyn for inviting us! 

And of course we had to stop and get some ice cream. Come on, it's like really hot out! Ice cream was definitely needed! 

But to make it all better, we will be running our tooshies off at our soccer game tonight. So at least we will be doing one thing today that is healthy!

Stay cool everyone- and you are cool for reading my blog! 😜 

Grocery Shopping!

So today I went grocery shopping for the challenge. It actually went a lot smoother than what I was thinking! A huge part of making this trip less stressful was having my sister with me. She is my encourager, challenger, resource and best friend. I don't know what I would do without her! And today she helped me more than I know! 

She is very knowledgable on different foods and products that are good alternatives and that are yummy! She helped me search through brands, labels, and options that are best for the challenge and best for the cleanse! 

It was actually really fun and exciting to be putting all of this healthy eating "talk" into action. I went to 3 places: Aldi, Coborns and Cub. 

Here are some of our finds!

Walden Farms Products

Most of their products are sugar free, fat free, gluten free, and calorie free! It honestly sounds too good to be true but I have heard good things about these products! I have not tried these myself yet- but I have heard great things about the ranch. I have read both very good and not so good ratings about the ketchup- but I thought I would give it a try! (Especially for those of you that know me... I put ketchup on everything!) I will definitely follow up with how I thought these two things tasted! Also- a tip for you, Coborns has a larger variety of choices than Cub! Although I am still on the lookout for the honey mustard and BBQ sauce!

Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil

I do not use a whole lot of mayo in my house. I could probably use avocado for anything you would use mayo for, but my hubby (who is also doing the challenge with me) would probably appreciate this with his chicken salad rather than avocado ;). I am glad to have found a good alternative! 

Peanut Butter

The biggest difference here is that this peanut butter has almost 100mg less sodium per serving than my Planters brand! 

A few other finds (but don't have pictures) 

-100% whole wheat tortillas. Cub brand has a packet of 10 for just under $2! 

-A big bag of already chopped romaine lettuce (very convenient!) Tip: (which maybe already everyone knows) the darker the leaves, the better. So romaine is better than iceberg and spinach is better than romaine. I will maybe get spinach next week :)

-A few other things I got were rice cakes, lots of fruit, beef jerky (for Luke), salsa, cilantro, chicken, and avocado! I also got freshly sliced turkey (not deli). Coborns has a good brand- too bad I don't remember the name! But it starts with a K :) 

So there is a little update for you on my journey to a healthy living!

What suggestions do you have for tasty, healthy foods?? 

Better Choices

In preparation for my challenge (and just for a better lifestyle) I started looking yesterday at "better options". 

To start off with, Coborns has fresh, already prepped veggies to grill/cook back in their fresh meats counter. Onions, green and red peppers, and mushrooms. We have been getting this lately when we have grilled, and I love it! It's a quick and easy way to get those veggies in when grilling. 

I am all about convenience and "quick grab". I have to have things close by for on the go snacks for when hunger strikes and I have little time to think about a healthy snack. Because this will easily turn into a time is bad choices! So I picked up some unsalted mix of nuts. 

I was pretty pleased with the taste. Although I missing the chocolate ;). 

Next up is a suggestion my sister gave me: rice chips. They are yummy! A better alternative to potato or kettle chips when I am craving that crunch!

My last pick (wont be doing this during the challenge but since I haven't started yet- why not?!) to crave my sweet tooth, was I picked up some skinny cow ice cream sandwiches. They taste delish and are only 150 calories. I can do that :)

So those are a few picks of my alternatives to help me get onto the right path. I know some of the options still may not be the best, but I'm taking baby steps here! :)

What are some of your "alternatives" that you have found? Please share!

Curbing that sweet tooth...

I admit it. I have an addiction. A problem. 

I have a major sweet tooth.

Not just any sweets,

but CHOCOLATE.

I HAVE TO HAVE chocolate every day. It is a terrible addiction. 

Before I was pregnant I was doing a pretty good job about letting myself have just a small amount everyday. (I tried the whole "only have some every once in a while" thing. Ya. Did not work!) But this was working pretty good for me! But then this thing called pregnancy happened and that rule somehow disappeared like it never existed.

Now here I am, with a 2 month old, wanting to lose weight, but my sweet tooth is in full gear. 

I had 3 chocolate chip cookies tonight. Plus some cookie dough. I limited myself to just one cookie's worth of dough, though. Im not even going to say how big the cookies were. No special occasion, just an addiction.

So, in preparation for the challenge I have been researching a little bit about how to kick this habit to the curb.

First of all, sugar is a carb. I have been trying to convince myself that while on this "low to no carb" challenge, that sugar is not included and that I should just "limit" it. But in all reality- CARBS play a huge part of weight management and SUGAR is apart of that! So I want to really try hard to get this under control!

Some tips that I found that I am going to try.....

- If needed, give in a little. I think this is key. When I tend to have NO sweets what-so-ever, I find myself going into a full splurge! AAAHHH, not OK. I would rather give in A LITTLE then to splurge. 

- Chew gum 

- Go for a walk when you feel the urge coming on (I like this one, makes me realize that this really is an addiction). Change the scenery. Distract yourself. WALK AWAY from the source. 

- Reach for fruit. ALWAYS have it handy! 

- Eat regularly- we tend to splurge when we are not satisfied. Choosing protein, fiber- rich foods will keep you full and feeling satisfied. 

-Slow down and think before eating! Is this a WISE decision? Is this decision going to help or hurt my goal??

So these are some tips I am going to try my best to follow... especially leading up to the start date. I want to be prepared! 

Do you have any advice on how you curb your sweet tooth? Please share with me in the comments!

24 Day Challenge: Prep

Hey All,

So I decided that while I am going through my 24 Day Challenge I am going to blog! Honestly, I am not doing it so I get a bunch of people to read it; I am more so doing it to help keep me accountable! If you do end up reading and following my blog, feel free to comment and give out some encouragement :). 

So today, my sister is coming over to help me put together a meal plan for the challenge. I want to be well prepared before I start! I am going to put together a plan of recipes to have for lunches and supper. I plan on taking the meal replacement shakes for breakfast. 

For those of you that do not know what the 24 Day Challenge is- basically it is a "challenge" put together by the company Advocare that sells health products (vitamins/supplements, etc. visit www.advocare.com for more detailed info). Advocare's goal is to help people live a healthy life style promoting healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. It is not a system of "lose weight fast". Advocare wants to see their products used in combination of a lifestyle CHANGE- not a "fad". And this is my desire- to see a permanent lifestyle change for me. I don't just want to lose weight and gain it right back by resorting back to my old eating/lifestyle habits. I desire a PERMANENT change! One other thing that I have already learned, even before starting the challenge, is that healthy eating DOES NOT have to be boring and bland. There are so many great things you can eat, you just need to find them :) And that is my goal!

So please help me through my challenge by reading and keeping me accountable. Any words of encouragement or advice while I go through is welcomed!