5 Day Jump Start for Summer

I have a lot of people ask me about my eating habits, the types of workouts I do, and how I balance a clean, healthy diet with every day life- especially since I love to eat and trying new recipes is one of my biggest hobbies!  As someone who has always struggled with keeping weight off and making myself workout on a regular basis, I totally get how hard it can be to know where to start and how to make the jump into a healthier lifestyle.  I have counted calories, been low carb, vegetarian, dairy free, low sugar, trained for half marathons, done weight lifting, and even dabbled with diet pills (oh the choices we make in college).  Some of these worked well, some of these not so much (sorry, there is no magic diet pill).  The biggest thing I've learned over the year, is you just have to start somewhere and set small, attainable goals for yourself.  This brings me to the 5 Day Jump Start. 

Throughout my entire adult life, I've been most successful when I've had a clear plan, been 100% committed to my goals and had a support network.  So, I am looking to create a small group of 10 people who want to join me in getting ready for summer.  We will follow a simple nutrition based program that uses a clean eating meal plan, light daily activity, and daily attainable goals.  This program is easily modifiable for every fitness level, from people who don't exercise at all, to people who run marathons.  

This 5 day program will begin Monday, April 20th, but the spots go fast so I encourage you to register in advance.  

If you want to…

...commit to a healthier lifestyle
...get tips on portion control and clean eating
...find a support network of people going through the same struggles
...get tips on meal planning
...learn how to incorporate more activity into your daily schedule
...get constant motivation and support 24/7

then THIS program is for you!

To reserve your spot, you MUST follow these TWO steps:
1: Comment below and say “Count me in!"
2: Then follow me on Facebook so that I can send you a private message to make sure that we’ll be a good fit working together and to receive full details. 

This is a 5-day life changing challenge that will be fun, effective and leave you feeling confident and on the path to great health. This is a virtual group, so it doesn't matter where you live. Part nutrition, part exercise and part MOTIVATION to stick to it!

There has been a murder...

My Mom and I went out of town this weekend.  My Cousin's wife (cousin- in- law?) is having a baby, so we drove down to South Carolina to visit everyone and go to the baby shower.  This is her first boy (she has two girls already), so it was fun to see her get all the little boy stuff, and of course the little boy theme (Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails).  I should have know our "little boy" aka Caesar would be getting himself into trouble this weekend as well.

Since there isn't really a direct way to get where they live in South Caroline from where we live in Tennessee, and I have been out of my absolutely favorite peanut butter for about a month now, we decided to cut through Atlanta so I could go to Sprouts for more.  Since the shower was on Saturday, and we wanted to have plenty of time to visit, we left Thursday morning to get my peanut butter.

I know, it is kind of ridiculous to go out of our way (and by out of our way, I mean risk Atlanta traffic) for just peanut butter.  But seriously, it is the best peanut butter.  I found a Sprouts that was sort of on the way, and called ahead to make sure they had some.  They put 6 jars on hold for me, and we picked them up Thursday afternoon.

Because my husband is like most husbands, and hates baby showers, he stayed at home with the cats. I could have used his help with the Diaper Cake/Tricycle construction, but my cousin and I managed it pretty well.  Luckily my Aunt had a lot of the craft supplies we needed (that I didn't think to bring with me) as well as one of my Grandfather's bow ties to use as a bow when we ran out of ribbon.

Since the Husband was at home, he had cat sitting duty.  Desi and Caesar are usually pretty well behaved, but someone has to be around to make sure the food bowl is always full (so Caesar doesn't panic) and to make sure Desi doesn't get lost in the house.  For the most part I think they had a pretty relaxing weekend, but by Saturday night, things were getting a little hairy.

Caesar had been spending a lot of time in the basement, and it was soon discovered he'd found a new toy.  The Husband spent a lot of time trying to rescue the little mole, but he was too quick, and he couldn't ever catch him.  Unfortunately, some time Sunday morning Caesar did...and then he caught a bird as well.

When we got home, there were bits and pieces everywhere.  Desi was taking a nap, and the Husband had no idea what had happened.  Caesar waited until no one was looking and just slaughtered the poor creatures.  Of course, he knew he'd done wrong, because he refused to come out when we called for him.  We finally found him about an hour later, hiding on a dining room chair.

The Best Holiday Ham

My dad loved ham.  He grew up in Virginia eating country ham.  My grandfather would soak it for an eternity, and then slice it really thin.  I remember eating country ham served on my grandmother's rolls or biscuits.  Nothing says home cooked comfort food to me like a ham biscuit.  

Nowadays, I am not about to soak a country ham and do all the work that it take to get one edible, but I still like to eat ham on the holidays.  In my house, we have ham twice a year: at Christmas and Easter. I buy a nitrate free (also called "uncured") ham if I can find it, and make my own glaze. It's super easy, and so much better than the glaze packets or the store bought sugar coated hams. 

I usually serve Green Bean Casserole and Orange Scented Sweet Potatoes along side the ham.  When we have cut off most of the meat from the bone, I freeze the bone until I get a craving for Bean Soup.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of orange marmalade or preserves 
2 heaping TBSPs brown mustard. 
Cloves
Fully Cooked, Bone in Ham

Directions:
Stud the ham with cloves and cover with foil. Heat the ham according to the package directions (usually about 2-3 hours in a 350 degree oven).  Combine the orange marmalade with the brown mustard.  Then remove the foil, brush on the glaze and heat uncovered for another 15-30 minutes until caramelized.  Serve with your favorite rolls or biscuits! 

21 Day Fix Breakfast Ideas

We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for a lot of us it can be hard to make the time to actually eat breakfast. If we do eat breakfast, it can be hard to know what to eat!  I've put together a list of my favorite breakfasts, all of them 21 Day Fix approved.  Even if you don't follow the 21 Day Fix, they are still yummy and easy to make.  Some of them you can make in advance, and some of them you make the morning of.  All are clean, and all get your morning off on the right foot!

A Carb, a Protein and a Fruit.  This is probably as basic as breakfast gets.  Some days I eat this as a bacon and egg sandwich with a banana. Some days I eat them separately over the course of the morning as cereal, greek yogurt and an apple.  If you aren't sure where to start for breakfast, try combining 1 carb, 1 serving of protein and 1 cup fruit.  For example, on the 21 Day Fix, 1 egg + 2 pieces of bacon counts as 1 red container, 1 piece of toast is a yellow, and a cup of fruit is a purple.  I find that combining a yellow, red and purple container for breakfast gives me the right amount of calories, fiber and the best nutritional balance to start my day.    

Peanut Butter Toast and Coffee

This is the breakfast I eat 90% of the time.  After a few rounds of the 21 Day Fix, I finally figured out how my metabolism works and what will keep me full until lunch.  First thing in the morning, I have coffee made with coconut milk and Truvia and 1 slice of gluten free bread with 1 tsp nut butter.  Then, about an hour later, once I am ready to face the day, I have a smoothie made with Shakeology and 1 purple container of fruit.  I really like to chew first thing in the morning, so the toast combined with the Shakeology fills my need for chewing, while still giving me a balance of Carbs, Protein and Fruit.  

Baked Oatmeal

I love baked oatmeal because you can make it in advance.  It is good warm or cold, so if you can't even microwave something in the morning, it is still delicious.  For a complete meal, I like to have a smoothie with it, and this one is perfect because it had peanut butter in it.  Everything it better with peanut butter! 

Waffle, Sausage, and Fruit

This is one of my go to breakfasts.  I always have the ingredients in my freezer.  I use frozen fruit that I defrost for a few seconds in the microwave.  It is a great substitute for syrup.  I also top the waffle with 1 tsp peanut butter.  Sometimes I make homemade turkey sausage, sometimes I just buy nitrate free turkey sausage at whole foods.  I prefer the Nature's Path Mixed Berry Buckwheat Frozen Waffles, partly because the are gluten free and mostly because they are delicious.  1 waffle, 2 sausage patties and 1 cup of fruit equals 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 purple container. 

Protein Oat Cakes

This recipe is fantastic when you want pancakes, but don't want to derail your diet.  Usually I save these for the weekend, but they can also be made in bulk and kept in the freezer for a few days.  My husband puts pure maple syrup on his, but I, of course, put peanut butter on mine.  

Half Bagel and Smoothie

My mom has half a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast almost every day.  It's kind of her version of peanut butter toast.  She hates eggs, and we found some Gluten Free Mighty Bagels (aka gluten free bagels full of seeds and fiber) that she likes, so I feel like this is a clean compromise.  However, she is always hungry about an hour later (probably because she is missing the protien).  Recently, since we've been living under the same roof, she has been drinking a Strawberry Banana Smoothie when she gets hungry and that has been keeping her full until lunch.  

I hope you try some of these ideas.  If you do, I'd love to know what you thought or what your favorite breakfast is.  Enjoy!

Caesar

My mom has a big fat cat.  His name is Caesar, and he loves everyone.  My dad called him "Little Guy" when they first got him, because he was a kitten and he was like a little brother, if cats can be brothers.  He is not so little any more, and his name has transitioned to "Big Boy"

He likes to sit on my lap/chest/arms/computer/feet/anywhere he is too big to fit while I am working.  Recently he discovered that the chair I like to sit in while I blog gets perfect sun exposure and has optimal birds nest viewing.  So now we race to see who can claim the chair first, and when I win, he just sits on me.

As I type this he's been sound asleep on my leg for the last hour.  I have lost all feeling in my right foot, and I really have to pee.  Yet I'm still sitting here because I hate to disturb him.  Plus, if I get up, her will steal my spot.  This cat totally rules this house.

Caesar also has a sister, Desi.  She is much older (she is 16 years, he is 16 pounds). Desdemona is just as needy, but she just tends to wander around the house carrying her mouse...which she will instantly drop as soon as she sees you.

Desi likes to do laps around the yard on sunny days, and take naps.  Her favorite spot is on my mom's bed, curled up on the afghan.  Sometimes, she enjoys being pickup and carried around by my husband, but usually that causes her to forget what she was doing, and then she has to start her laps al over again.

Now that you've been properly introduced to the cast of characters, you can be assured that I will be posting more pictures of them doing cute things like napping, rolling in the sun, and lounging in inconvenient places.

Tropical Smoothie

For the past 3 months, I've been taking some Jazzercise classes.  If you lived in the 90's, I am sure you think you know what I am talking about.  I can assure you this is nothing like the Jazzercise of my teenage years.  This Jazzercise is a serious workout. It's like Zumba and Bootcamp classes merged together and had a really happy, calories burning baby.  I've burned up to 600 calories in an hour, and been so sore the next day I hoped I wouldn't need to use my arms for anything more than brushing my teeth.  I get super thirsty during and after theses classes, and you can only drink so much water before you feel like you are going to float away.  

I thought about drinking some coconut water to help with the hydration, but I am not really a fan of it.  However, I do like the hint of coconut flavor it gives to smoothies.  Pairing it with some pineapple and banana, seemed like a genius idea and so this smoothie was born!  I used Vanilla Shakeology, but I think the Vegan Tropical Strawberry or Regular Strawberry would probably work as well.  My favorite cocktail is a mix of Strawberry daiquiri and Pina Colada, and since this smoothie tastes like a Pina Colada, I am pretty confident in my strawberry suggestion.  In fact, next time I may add some strawberries!

Ingredients

1 packet Vanilla Shakeology

1/3 cup frozen banana (about half a small banana)

2/3 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup coconut water

Directions

Combine the ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  

For a sweeter smoothie, increase the amount of banana.  I found that 1/2 a frozen banana was a lot sweeter than I thought it would be.  I will probably use less banana, and more pineapple next time for a stronger pineapple flavor. 

21 Day Fix Conversion:

1 red, 1 purple

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Strawberry Banana Smoothie

When I was in college at SMU, a lot of my meals where eaten on campus.  When I lived in the dorm, I'd usually eat in the dining hall on the meal plan.  However, occasionally, I'd head over to the student center and use my Pony Bucks to get a smoothie, and sometimes a chicken caesar salad wrap.  Of course I had no idea how many calories I was ingesting in that meal, although the fact that the smoothie was made with frozen yogurt should have tipped me off.  Either I was too naive to know or the smoothie and the wrap was too good for me to care.  I care now though, which is why I am so excited about this Strawberry Banana Smoothie.

When I made it the other day, the first thing I did was message my college roommate on Facebook.  She had to know about this recipe, and I knew for a fact she had the ingredients on hand.  I buy strawberries and bananas in bulk when they'd go on sale and make up smoothie packs and keep them in the freezer.

Ingredients:
3-4 strawberries, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
1 packet vanilla Shakeology
1 cup water
3-4 ice cubes (optional)

Directions:
Combine the water and Shakeology in a blender.  Add the frozen strawberries, banana, and ice.  Blend until smooth.

My mom isn't a huge fan of protein powders, and she really likes this one.  In fact, in the care the other day she finished mine off!

21 Day Fix Conversion:
1 red, 1 purple

Buy Shakeology