3 Day Refresh

I am so excited to get this in the mail today, I am hoping to start this soon.  I needed a little detox to start off my New Year to get all the junk out that I put in over Christmas and New Years!  Sometimes you just need a little extra kick to lose the weight.  I started to read through the pamphlet and it is pretty straightforward with shakes, fruit and veggies.  Since I am kind of at a standstill with my weight loss, mostly bc I find in hard to stay on track over the weekends!  Plus my husband is not on board with clean eating, he likes to eat pretty much anything that is really bad for him.  I am slowly working on him, but he hasn't been convinced.  I will continue to post my journey!  Thanks for reading!

Eating Out and Staying on Track

I had my meal plan ready for the week, but as always, we like to go out on Friday nights, so I attempted to prepare myself all day for where to go and what I would choose to eat.  I even saved containers and didn't eat as much food, so I would be safe at dinner.

Things didn't go as planned, my little one was very fussy, most likely bc she didn't get a good nap at daycare, I now know this bc she was in bed by 7:30 tonight.  However, I ordered a salad and some risotto, thinking I would be safe, well an hour later as I am starved, (the restaurant was very behind) I started eating my little ones chips and chicken tenders.  I did resist the fries that my husband ordered, so I will say that is a little victory.  I think we are steering away from going out for a while which is good bc I am going to start the 21 day fix extreme next week.  I really want to give it my all to lose the last little bit of baby weight that is lingering.  Nutrition is the key, they say abs are made in the kitchen and I am believer in that!

Here are some tips for staying on track when out at a restaurant:

1, Plan ahead
2, Think ahead- make sure the menu has a lot to offer
3. Substitute a side salad instead of fries
4. I also find it easier to split your food in half and ask for a box right away for lunch the next day
5. Chew your food, it's best to chew 20-30 times, its proven to work

2017 Goals

I have been learning a lot about goals the last couple of weeks and I have said before it's something I struggle with, so I decided that if I write them down then they are real, and I will have to take action.

This week I was taught that the goal has to be SMART S-Specific M-Measurable A-Accountable R-Realistic T-Timely.  I did a lot of thinking bc it's important to figure out what your PRIORITIES are, and what is most important to me.  So for me that looks like this:

FAMILY

CAREER

HOUSEWORK

HELPING OTHERS

Based on the above I need to make my goals in line with my priorities, meaning, if my family is my most important priority I don't want to take time away from them to run my business or work too much!  

So I have started with these goals and I plan to really strive to make all this happen, and put this into action with what I have learned! 

1. Plan 2 vacations this year with Madison and Nick

2. 1-2 dates a month with my husband

3. Lose 15lbs by June 31st

4. Read 5 Personal development books this year

5. Pay off 1 credit card by June 1st

6. Blog 3x a week

7. Reach Diamond Rank by July 16th

8. Reach Star Diamond Rank by Dec 31st

9. Help 25 ppl reach their health and fitness goals by March 31st

10. Save $600 by June 1st 

I now have to break each of these goals down and make a plan of actions, which I have already started to do!  Bring on 2017 bc great things are going to happen! 

Meal Plan For Week 1 of Piyo

My meal plan is completed for the week!  This week I am focusing on eating my pre-planned dinners, I usually fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to dinner and that's where I fall off track and eat unhealthy meals.  Not this week, I am going to lose these last 15lbs so I can feel even better.

I know this weight is going to be the hardest to get off bc of my body type and my petite size but I am determined to get my abs back after my baby!  I am so pumped to continue on with my journey and inspire others to as well!  Have a great week!

My Struggle

I have not posted in a while, been super busy, which is no excuse.  I wanted to talk about family, this is something I struggle with, meaning the relationship I have with my family.  My parents had my twin sister and I at young ages and I watched them struggle to stay married and also just get along.  As I have gotten older I have realized that I want to be closer to my family.  Distance has kept that from happening.  I am very close with my sister, but am finding my relationship with my brother and my father is rocky.  I have no relationship with my mother because of past disappointments.  They say family is forever and that we should forgive easily, but what happens when you keep getting let down?  What happens when in your head your expectations are never going to be met.  I was told I need to set boundaries, clear precise boundaries, so that I don't get hurt anymore. 

My biggest struggle out of all of this is the feeling of not being good enough, that my needs get put on the back-burner, so I can satisfy everyone else's.  I am slowly working on this.  But parts of me sink back into that feeling of worthlessness because of the past.  Not only do I not feel good enough to my family, but other areas of my life.  I have decided to stop doing this, make new choices that will cause me less pain and keep me happy.

I know this is deeper than other topics I have posted, but it feels good to get this out in the open and hope that I can get passed the hurt and move on to being the best I can.  Below is my reason for everything, she makes me so happy and keeps me going. 

Greek Quinoa Salad with Chicken

This salad was AMAZING!!!

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast
• 1 + 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup chopped green/red/orange bell pepper
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 TBSP fresh parsley
• I added Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning
• TASTY EXTRAS:
• Hummus
• Pita wedges
• Olives
• Fresh tomatoes
• Lemon wedges
• Cucumbers

Instructions

1. First rinse and drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer or sieve.
2. Bring a medium saucepan to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water. Stir as it toasts for just a few minutes. This step is optional but really adds to the nuttiness and fluff factor of the quinoa!
3. Next add your water, set burner to high, and bring to a boil.
4. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-13 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.
5. While quinoa is cooking, cut up chicken breast into cubes and saute in saucepan until brown, add greek seasoning if desired, may use 1tsp of olive oil if you would like. 
6. While the quinoa cooks, chop and prep the remaining ingredients and whisk together your dressing ingredients.
7. Snag your now-fluffy quinoa from the pot and give it a little fluff with a fork.
8. For a chilled salad, you can pop the quinoa in the fridge for a few minutes prior to adding your veggies or simply let it cool on the countertop for a few minutes for a room temperature quinoa bowl.
9. Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. How easy was that!? Pour over your quinoa bowl and toss with a pair of forks or salad servers and dig. on. in.
10. Add any additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

One Pan Summer Sizzler

One Pan Summer Sizzler

What you will need:

6-8 baby red potatoes

package of chicken sausage (I used turkey sausage)

1 large zucchini

1 large yellow onion

1-2 red or yellow bell peppers

salt

pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil (may need more depending on how your potatoes cook)

garlic powder or Flavor God Garlic Lovers to sprinkle on potatoes and at the end

What to do:

1.  Wash and cut ingredients

2.  Warm 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet and dump potatoes in, salt, pepper, and garlic spices

3.  Bring to a sizzle/boil--then reduce heat and cover for 20-25 minutes or until your potatoes are tender

4.  Remove potatoes from skillet

5.  Add sausage, onion, and bell pepper and sizzle for 5-6 minutes

6.  Add zucchini for a few minutes

7. Add potatoes back into skillet--salt, pepper, and sizzle for 2-3 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4

21 Day Fix Equivalents:  1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 2 spoons for oils.