NOT JUST A CLICHE!

A moment on the lips equals a lifetime on the hips!

This is what my Trainers tell me before they criticize my food logs and before they kick my butt for 2 hours 3 days a week. They tell me that any binge eating of sweets, sugars, salts, and junk foods will promote weight gain in the years to come. Who wants that? It just puts more emphasis on the fact that I need to be more aware and cautious of what I put on my lips for fear of it ending up on my hips. 

I have to be honest with you, my lapse in concentration on my body the last year has really taken its toll on me. The arrow on the scale has slowly but steadily kept moving to the right, my clothes have been feeling more snug, and people say I look "good" instead of "fabulously thin and fit" or any other description that doesn't mean that my face has rounded out a little more since the last time they saw me. This battle I have been on, for the last ever it seems, is finally coming to an end! I have climbed on the horse and have got back on the track. The 3 things that my Trainers are having me do to help spark change in my body is:

1-Reduce food intake to 1150 calories per day

2-Increase physical activity to 60 minutes 5 days a week  

3-Eat 6 meals a day and keep the foods fresh

So far, this plan has worked. I have lost 5 pounds, 1 inch off my waist and lowered my body fat percentage by almost 2% in 1 week. I am thrilled that I can see results and it makes me push myself that much harder. My goal is to get down to a more comfortable weight by the end of October when I have my IVF procedures. Wish me luck and remember:

7 days without exercise makes one weak!

TURKEY BURGER WITH RED ONION AND JALAPENOS

I saw a picture of this burger last week and my mouth seriously started drooling right then and there. I knew I had to make this and I knew it had to be soon! Last night was the night, and it was amazing! The burger was juicy and with all the toppings, it was jam packed full of flavor! Besides the fact that Turkey burgers are uberly healthy for you, this will become a regular in our home...

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rings

coarse salt

3 tablespoons lime juice

1-1/4 pounds lean ground turkey

whole wheat hamburger buns

1 ripe avocado

1 cup romaine lettuce

1/3 jarred pickled jalapenos

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Heat oil in skillet. Cook onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt stirring occasionally until tender. Transfer to a bowl with 2 tablespoons lime juice. 

Heat grill to medium-high and place divided turkey patties brushed with vegetable oil and seasoned with salt to cook. Grill until cook through. Grill buns cut side down.

Meanwhile mash avocado with fork and mix with remaining lime juice and salt. Spread onto buns and layer lettuce, burger, onion, jalapenos and cilantro. 

Enjoy!

  (Martha Stewart)

I paired my burger with some sweet potato fries to make it a meal!  

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

I made this meal tonight and it was D-lish! It was super easy to put together and really tasty. Sweets and I ate all of it and wanted more...sadly there was none left. Give it all a try and let me know what you think!

2 medium zucchini - (I used 3)
4 oz Italian turkey sausage - (I used 8 oz)
1/4 cup diced red onion - (I used 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 medium tomato - (I used 2)
fresh basil, salt, pepper to taste
2/3 cup Italian cheese blend
1 tablespoon Italian bread crumbs
EVOO

step 1: slice zucchini half length and scoop out center. Sprinkle with EVOO and salt and pepper. Turn grill on to medium and place zucchini face down for about 5 minutes until slightly cooked.
step 2: over the stove, cook the Italian sausage until done. Add onions, garlic, and zucchini until onions are translucent. Add tomato, basil and a few cracks of pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

step 3: add in cheese and bread crumbs to the mix stirring until combined. Stuff zucchini with mixture and place back on grill face up for about 5 minutes or until cooked and soft.  

step 4: enjoy!
I served mine with an iceberg lettuce salad and some rosemary bread. I topped it off with Mango Orange sparkling water. Not only did it hit the spot and was the perfect dish for the weather outside, but it also is uberly healthy. It was so colorful and lite. I hope you like it as much as we did!
(from best bites)

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR FOOD?

Ever since I was a little girl, my mother taught me to eat by color. She taught me that certain colors would benefit my body in different ways and that I needed to make sure that I had a "colorful" plate of food so that I would grow up to be healthy and strong. For example, carrots will help my eyes to see clearly, strawberries will help my hair grow red (which it clearly did :)) and lettuce would help my bum tissues so I wouldn't have poochin problems. The lengths that parents will go to make thier kids eat healthy and the suckers that children are...too funny!

 All of the meals that my mom made for us were indeed just that. Very Colorful! I always hated eating the food because I didn't want to disturb the beautiful rainbow of food, but then I would catch a sniff of the most delish meal and chow down. My mother is by far the best cook that I know...and that's the truth. I believe part of cooking a great meal is the passion behind the cook, and my mother has it! 

As I have been learning the art and passion of cooking over the past few years, I have tried to implement this same knowledge. I try to make all my meals colorful from the appetizer to the dessert. Secretly if I can't find foods that are a yummy complimentary color I will just add coordinating spices instead. No one ever knows this or pays attention but mentally I feel the meal is complete. 

I have officially decided, with a smidgen of fine-tuning, this years Easter Feast. It should be (I hope) a very colorful dinner for all to enjoy!    

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

tahoe sun/wind bathing in the snow

After many sleepless nights due to the tornado speed winds coming from the canyon by our house, I have finally made it through the month of February and my goals!

I lost 9.2 pounds on the cinch! diet plan. 

I have read 2 books: The 5 love languages and The Screwtape letters.

I went to the temple once.

Now on to March and the new goals! 

I am still fine tuning them, so hopefully by tomorrow, I will have them all ready to be accomplished! 

AND THE WINNER IS...

yes, i know. it looks gross and you are probably gaging at the sight of this. however, before you get all heaved on your computer, let me tell you the goodness that is involved with this shake! 

It is from CINCH! and it is amazing! 

 if you like oats, chocolate chips, pears, ginger and milk...then you have a WINNER for breakfast! I have been drinking this the last 3 days for breakfast and have seriously been full for hours, satisfied with the taste of practically dunking an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie into milk and getting my chocolate fix! who can resist this for breakfast? 

I seriously encourage you to at least try this. i promise you will love it...and if you don't, then i feel really bad for you and your non-functioning tastebuds! (wink)

1 small pear

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 cup milk

1/2 tespoon ginger

(mix all together in a blender and enjoy)

CHUGGA CHUGGA...CHOO CHOO!

And I am off! The "train"ing for my Winter Quarter Goal has been going full speed ahead! I couldn't be happier with the dedication that I have made to working out, eating right, and completing my goals. I am getting more comfortable on our Kreitler Roller during my workouts, but with this weather, I really need to be biking outside! There is such a difference with working out inside as opposed to working out outside. So far, my legs are holding up, but my bum is not. I guess I am not used to sitting on a slim piece of metal with no cushion except for the black material! OUCH! Otherwise I am chugging along and will hopefully make the goal of biking 50 miles next month!  

I have been following this plan 3 days a week so far and it has been a great one! After this week I am switching programs to something a little more intense and longer. Pray that soon, we will have a good 40-50 degree weather day, so I can take this "train"ing outside...

Minutes	Level
5	Warm up at an easy level (10 to 12 MPH)
2	Moderate effort (12 to 14 MPH)
2	Easy
2	Moderately hard (14 to 16 MPH)
2	Easy
2	Hard (16 to 19 MPH)
2	Easy
1	Hard, then reverse the order back to start

FAST FORWARD

The "weight" is over...!

We are doing the CINCH! plan for the month of February as our goal.

This entails a 5 day fast forward where you only get to eat 5 ingredients, 4 times a day. The remaining 23 days we continue eating 4 times a day yummy and healthy recipes from the book. This diet teaches about portion control, making healthy choices, adding seasonings and spices to your foods and which foods to combine with what to give you optimal results. There is no "take this pill" or "don't eat that" like so many other diets. This is unique because it allows you to eat what you want, but you just need to do it at the right time of day and in the right amounts. So many people gain back their weight after they finish their diet, but CINCH! is a life-style change so you won't gain back what you lost!  

Here is our grocery list for our 5 DAY : FAST FORWARD challenge! 

- 15 cups spinach

- 20 cups raspberries

- 30 tablespoons Almonds

- 1 jar Almond butter

- 10 whole organic eggs

- 60 ounces yogurt

(minced garlic, jalapenos, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, crushed red pepper, basil, EVOO, mint)

We are so excited to shed some of this winter weight and really get a jump kick on our sexy Spring bodies!