Workouts

I know this blog is all about food but I want it to be more about healthy living than just food. Though food plays a major role in a healthy lifestyle  exercise is also an important key. I must admit I am kind of an exercise junkie. I really enjoy working out and hit the gym most days of the week (on average 6-7 days a week). It didn't use to be that way, I have learned to love the gym. I know in order to lead a healthy lifestyle I have to exercise. I want to keep up with H too, 3 year olds keep ya busy. :)

I thought I would share my typical workouts with you to give you an idea of how I push my body since I already share how I fuel my body. I typically strength train 3 to 4 days a week. I believe in heavy weight, low rep workouts. I also focus on a major muscle group each day, for example Monday arms, Wednesday legs, and Friday abs. I know others focus on even more detailed groups but this is what works for me. While lifting I typically do a circuit doing some sort of cardio move (burpees, mountain climbers, lunge jumps, etc.) in between sets. This keeps my heart rate up and gets my strength training in.

Everyday I do some sort of cardio work. Typically that includes spending sometime with my friend, the stairmaster, running intervals or distance, and on some days the elliptical and bike. I try to get at least 1 hour of cardio in every day. In the evenings I typically do a few 5 minute circuits of things like: jump ups (jump up onto my ottoman and back down), skaters, mountain climbers, squats with punches, squat jumps, plank jacks and so on.

I feel better when I exercise. I have also made exercise my me time and I think it is very important to take some time out for ourselves everyday. How can we provide the best to our family and loved ones if we don't take care of ourselves. Our bodies need fuel and exercise so get out there and find the exercise that is right for you. :)

Meal Plan 3/19-3/25

Monday
Breakfast: Southwest Scramble
Lunch: Turkey Burgers with vegetables
Dinner: Chicken Apple with vegetables
Tuesday
Breakfast: Southwest Scramble
Lunch: Chicken Fajitas
Dinner: Grilled Steak with vegetables
Wednesday
Breakfast: Omelet Muffins
Lunch: Fast Shrimp/Hot Dog (H doesn't like shrimp)
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas
Thursday
Breakfast: Omelet Muffins
Lunch: Fast Shrimp/Peanut Butter and Jelly
Dinner: Taco Salad (this is one of my favorite Paleo recipes)
Friday
Breakfast: Frittata
Lunch: Taco Salad
Dinner: Grilled Pork Chops with vegetables
Saturday
Breakfast: Frittata
Lunch: Grilled Pork Chops with vegetables
Dinner: Turkey Burgers with vegetables
Sunday
Breakfast: Leftovers or bacon and eggs
Lunch: Turkey Burgers
Dinner: Pork Roast

Weekly Check-in

As I mentioned the week before last was not a pretty week for me. I gained a lot of what I had lost back but this week I was back on track. :) 

Here are my weekly measurements:
Weight:145 (.4lbs down from my last check in, 5.8lbs since starting Paleo)

Arms: 10.75" (right) and 11.25" (left)

Chest: 32.75"

Waist: 30.75"

Hips: 38.5"

Thighs: 22.25" (right) and 22" (left)

That is 5" since my last check in! 

Recipe Organization

Since starting Paleo I have found that I need a way to better organize my recipes. I don't like to follow recipes from my computer and I actually prefer to use handwritten recipes. I know I am weird huh? When I find a recipe I sit down and write onto an index card. I use the large index cards so that I can fit the ingredients and directions onto one side. A couple weeks ago I found these neat little half size clipboards for my business but picked up an extra one to hold recipes.

When I do my weekly meal plan I put all of the recipes I plan to use (in order of use) on the clipboard and hang it in my kitchen. This method has worked great but until today I was kind of lost as to what to do with the recipes I wasn't using in a week. I am particular about things and want everything to look nice and neat. S teases me because if my grocery list doesn't look nice I will rewrite it!

Today I was determined to find a solution to my recipe problem once and for all. I had been using a sheet protector to hold the recipes but that was filling up. So while at Target today (sidenote: I spend way too much time and money at Target) I found a small three drawer file that I thought would be perfect for what I needed. I divided the recipes into breakfast, lunch/dinner, and sides/snacks/desserts. I think it is going to work perfectly, at least until I get an excessive amount of recipes as I am sure I will.

This is my recipe file. 

This is my clipboard with my recipes for the week. 

Meal Plan 2/27 through 3/4

Oh boy it is seriously exciting to see that I am posting a menu that includes part of March! That means we are slowly getting closer to having S home with us again. YIPPEE!! We still have a while to go but have to enjoy the little things right?
Monday
B: Breakfast Smoothie
L: Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
D: Taco Salad
Tuesday
B: Eggs and Bacon
L: Taco Salad
D: Omega Meatballs with Broccoli and Asparagus
Wednesday
B: Breakfast Smoothie
L: Omega Meatballs
D: Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
Thursday
B: Frittata
L: Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
D: Steak Stir Fry
Friday
B: Breakfast Smoothie
L: Steak Stir Fry
D: Turkey Burgers
Saturday
B: Frittata
L: Turkey Burgers
D: Pork Roast
Sunday
B: Omelet
L&D: Pork Roast

Weekly Check in....

is not going to happen this week! To say I fell off the bandwagon is the understatement of the century. I am so disappointed in myself. I just kept making bad decisions as far as food and even realized it but continued to make the same decisions. I have decided to start over rather than beat myself up further.

I have my meal plan for the week ready to go and already got my groceries for the week. I am going to do prep work for as many of the meals as possible today so that hopefully I can stay on track this week. I am finding when I have things going on that keep us away from home for a good part of the day it seems to ruin the entire day.

This week I am remembering that and trying to plan ahead rather than let my eating lifestyle just go out the window. I think having things ready ahead of time will help and I am going to keep snacks with me at all times so that if and when we get hungry away from home we don't have to hit a drive thru. I know I am way off track for my goals but I know I can get back on track with some hard work and determination.

I am trying not to put too much pressure on myself because I feel like I don't handle my own pressure well. I need to just refocus on my goals and why I am eating Paleo and I know I will find success.

This week I am also going to mix up my workout a bit because I am finding myself in a bit of a rut in that area too. My workout plan includes a Daily Cross Fit Workout of the day, 3 days a week strength training (low reps, high weight), and cardio with some jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, skaters, etc. thrown in. I also plan to start including some swimming into my routine. I feel like I really just need to mix it all up.

I am having a hard time holding myself accountable but I have to get past that because I am really close to my goal and am not ready to give up. I can and will do this. I just need to do what I know I should be doing rather than eating junk because I am too lazy or something to make the right decisions. Here is to a new tomorrow! This isn't a sprint but a marathon and I am in the last leg, now I just need to finish strong!

GAH! Paleo Fail

Let's just say this week has involved some emotional eating that hasn't been Paleo. Lifestyle changes involve bumps in the road though so rather than beating myself up I am learning from these mistakes and moving on. It seems like when I am running short on time or in different situations then usual I break away from Paleo and eat junk! I think it is important to think about your actions,even if you aren't happy or proud of them to figure out why you did what you did.

I now know that I need to really think about my day and plan my food specifically for busy days otherwise I will hit a drive thru, order pizza,or just eat junk. Understanding why I chose to do what I do really helps me learn from my experiences and improve. Completely changing your diet lifestyle isn't an easy task and I am learning that now. It takes time to adjust. The key for me is making it a daily habit to make the right food choices and rather than just eat junk. Taking the time to make an effort is half the battle.

Meal plans help me a lot but there are still times when I just am not feeling what I had planned. I am finding that too many days of the same leftovers gets old. I need to adjust my meal plans to include fewer meal repeats so that I will be more willing to stick to my plan.

So whatever you are doing to improve your lifestyle just keep pushing even if you have a bad meal, day,or week. Get back at it and soon enough you will have more good meals,days,weeks then bad.

Meal Plan 2/20 through 2/26

Monday
Breakfast: Omelet Muffins
Lunch: Shrimp Salad
Dinner: Leftover Pork Chops

Tuesday
Breakfast: Frittata
Lunch: Pork Chop with Asparagus
Dinner: Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup

Wednesday
Breakfast: Omelet Muffin
Lunch: Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup
Dinner: Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo

Thursday
Breakfast: Frittata
Lunch: Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
Dinner: Creamy Chicken and Tomato Soup

Friday
Breakfast: Fried Egg and Fruit
Lunch: Steak with Bok Choy
Dinner: Zucchini and Ground Beef

Saturday
Breakfast: Frittata
Lunch: Zucchini and Ground Beef
Dinner: Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Sunday
Breakfast: Omelete
Dinner: Free Meal

Weekly Check-in 2/19/2012

I had only planned to do a weekly weigh-in and monthly measurements and pictures but after seeing my weight loss this week I really wanted to see what my measurements were. I am so excited to share this with you all! Paleo is already doing amazing things in my life, even with a cheat day (that I will talk about in another post). 

So anyway here are my numbers for the week, you can go here to see where I started. 

Arm: 11" (right) 11.25" (left)

Chest: 32.75"

Waist: 32.75"

Hips: 39"

Thighs: 23.25"(right) 23" (left)

Weight: 145.4

That is a total inch loss of: 8" 

Weight loss of: 5.4lbs

WOW that is all I can say! 

Bountiful Basket: 2/18/2012

I finally got back to ordering our weekly basket from Bountiful Baskets. As you can see we got all kinds of yummy things. It was nice to get back and get fresh ORGANIC produce at a good price. If you are interested in learning more about Bountiful Baskets (they offer both conventional and organic produce baskets) visit them here.
Our basket included this week:

Lettuce

Bok Choy

Green Beans

Onions

Cucumbers

Zuchinni 

Potatoes

Grape Tomatoes

Mangoes

Blueberries

Kiwi

Apples 

Oranges

I will be sharing our weekly Paleo meal plan later today or tomorrow with these items included too. I have never had Bok Choy before so I am excited to try that. 

Temptations

Oh boy is it fun to face temptations, well I guess fun isn't the best word to describe it. H has been sick and yesterday was spent cuddling on the couch and boy did I not want to prepare anything for dinner. In our house when someday is sick with anything other than the stomach flu we normally order take out of some sort since who wants to cook when they are dealing with sickies? I wanted to break down so badly and order a couple of personal pan pizzas for H and I. I didn't though! Woohooo! Thank goodness I had plenty of leftovers from earlier meals this week so I just reheated things yesterday.

H also has some Rasinettes that we use every now and then as a reward for having a really good day! He doesn't get candy otherwise so he loves his Rasinettes. Well yesterday I wanted to dive into the bag and have just one (which probably would have turned into half the bag). I kept walking by that stupid bag wanting to reach in and grab one. I resisted though! I want to weigh in this week after eating a strictly Paleo diet.

Having a toddler who is particular about what kinds of foods he eats makes it difficult to keep the temptations out of the house. H isn't too picky but you know he loves his yogurt and corndogs. :) I believe that learning to deal with temptation will make me stronger in the long run than hiding from all temptations. It still makes it tough when I really want a treat or something not Paleo when I have it in the house. I just have to focus on the benefits I will reap by eating Paleo and work on converting H to Paleo too.

I am sure when S gets home it will be harder to stick to Paleo even though S says he is willing to give Paleo a try. I know the opportunities to cheat will be greater which is why I think it is so important to learn to deal with temptations now.

Paleo is not a diet for me but a lifestyle so I have to learn to adapt so I can fulfill my lifestyle goals. Temptations will always be a part of my life and every now and again I think it is okay to enjoy a treat but those treats shouldn't be daily and maybe not even once a week. I guess so far I am handling temptation pretty well hopefully I can continue to handle them just as well.

So how's Paleo going?

I thought I would check in with you all and let you know how Paleo is going for me thus far. I have been at this a few days so far and have really enjoyed everything thus far. There are some things I have learned and had get adjusted to but overall I am loving my Paleo lifestyle!

-Eating only when hungry. This is a strange one for me. I am used to just eating even if I am not hungry. You know we have all been trained to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at set times of day.Well I have enjoyed this style of eating only when hungry. I don't feel like I have to force myself to eat just because the clock says I should. Its less stressful trying to figure out what to snack on or eat when I am not hungry.

-Tired! Oh my the first couple of days of this I have been tired. I have researched this and it seems that my body is adjusting to the lack of processed crap, grains, and all that junk. I am already starting to feel a bit more energetic and I can't wait to see what happens once my body gets fully adjusted.

-New eating rules. It is tough preparing a meal or snack for H and not sneaking a bit or two. I want to get H on the Paleo diet too but there are somethings he just isn't willing to eat. I have cleared most of the crap food out of the house but when we have had a long day a quick fast food meal sounds like the best option.

So far I have stuck to my Paleo plan. I have not eaten any non-Paleo foods or any non-Paleo drinks. There have been moments where I want to sneak something non-Paleo but I have stuck to my guns. I think that if I can just get my body through this withdrawal or adjustment phase Paleo will easily just become a lifestyle for me.

I haven't weighed myself since starting Paleo, which is unusual since I normally weigh in every day. I plan to weigh in once a week (on Sundays) instead. The scale can be discouraging and I know I am going through an adjustment phase so the scale could get me down. I am excited to weigh in on Sunday though to see how I am doing.

Chicken and Vegetable Frittata

Oh my goodness am I in love with this recipe! I got the idea off of a Paleo forum I found but it is so easy to just use whatever is in your fridge. Yesterday morning I made my Frittata using the following ingredients:

bell pepper, tomatoes, onions, and chicken. This is an easy recipe to make ahead of time for those busy mornings when grabbing a donut or fast food would be easier than making something at home.

Chicken Vegetable Frittata 

Serves 6 or so

1/2-1 Bell Pepper, diced

1/2-1 Tomato, diced

1/4-1/2 onion, diced

1 chicken breast, precooked and chopped

6 eggs
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine vegetables and chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat. (Make sure you are using an all metal skillet). Cook until vegetables are soft. Crack eggs in a bowl and mix together. Pour eggs over the vegetable chicken mix, making sure it is mixed well and cook until frittata solidifies on the bottom. Then put the skillet in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. 

Veggies and chicken in the skillet.

After the eggs have been added. 

Fresh out of the oven! 

This is seriously an extremely flexible recipe, if you have steak leftover throw it in and use any veggies you want. I want to try mushrooms next time. It obviously makes quite a bit too. I cut this like a pie and ended up with 6 pieces. To reheat just microwave for 15-20 seconds and you are good to go! 

Starting measurements

YIKES! I can't believe I am doing this! Please be gentle with comments, I know I am still overweight and have some work to do. Which is why I am doing this. :) 

Arms: 11.5" right and 11.5" left

Chest: 33.25"

Waist: 34.75"

Hips: 40.25"

Thighs: 25" right and 24.75" left

Weight: 150.8

Now on to the pictures....please ignore the messing bedroom! That is the last place I worry about cleaning, with S gone and H keeping me busy I just don't have time to get it clean. :) 

Front 

Side

Back (do you know how hard it was for me to take a back photo?)

Another front

The other side

And my arm simply because I am proud of my arms! 

Paleo Meal Plan-2/12 through 2/19

This is my first Paleo meal plan. I am so excited to share it with you all. I will post recipes as I make these meals.
Sunday
B: Chicken and Veggie Frittata
L: Steak with veggies
D: Grilled chicken with veggies
Monday
B: Beef and Spinach Scramble
L: Steak with veggies
D: Chicken Vegetable Soup
Tuesday
B:Chicken and Veggie Frittata
L:Chicken and Vegetable Soup
D: Shrimp stuffed avocados
Wednesday
B: Beef and Spinach scramble
L: Shrimp stuffed avocados
D: Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Thursday
B: Chicken and Vegetable Frittata
L: Tahoe Shrimp Salad
D: Isola Baked Pork Chops
Friday
B: Zesty Shrimp Avocado Omelet
L: Isola Baked Pork Chops
D: Tahoe Shrimp Salad
Saturday
B: Chicken and Vegetable Frittata
L: Omega Meatballs
D: Chipotle Lime Salmon
Sunday
B: Omelet and vegetables
L: Fasting
D: Steak Stirfry

On I sidenote because I think it is important to stress this to you all....I am not simply following the Paleo diet to lose weight! I am trying to establish a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family. Paleo for me isn't going to be a phase but instead a part of our life for the rest of our lives.

Gah! Where have I been?

Oh my have I been MIA huh? S left for another deployment last month and we have been adjusting. When S left I set a few goals for myself:
1. Graduate from College with my Bachelors degree this spring!
2. Establish a healthy lifestyle for myself and our family. (Eating, exercise/activity etc.)
3. Reach my goal weight of 125.

I am working on my degree. I am currently taking 3 courses and will start a 4th in the coming weeks. I am looking forward to graduating and finding a job. I have been a stay at home Mom and student since S joined the Air Force. I am looking forward to get back into the workforce!

As far as the healthy lifestyle as you all know I have been striving to establish a healthy lifestyle for the three of us for quite some time. I have heard people talk about the Paleo diet but really hadn't looked into. Well earlier this week I meet with an awesome girl to talk about It Works! products and she mentioned her Paleo lifestyle. (I think I ended up getting more out of our meeting then she did). I came home and started researching right away! I found an overwhelming amount of information online but wanted to learn more (I am a book reader) so I bought The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain. After reading the book I decide the Paleo diet (or lifestyle as I like to call it) is the lifestyle that I want to lead and that I hope my family will follow too. It makes so much sense to me and focuses on non-processed foods. So starting tomorrow I will be eating like a caveman!

I am going to share my Paleo journey with you so if you are interested in first hand experience I can help you with that! :) Now onto my 3rd goal of reaching my goal weight. I firmly believe that following the Paleo Diet will be what it takes to reach my goals. I am also hoping that my new Paleo friend will hook me up with her awesome strength and fitness coach too! I do fully believe that my diet has more to do with my weight problems than my fitness/exercise level...maybe I am wrong though.

I will be keeping you up to date on my progress with all of my goals but especially with my Paleo lifestyle. I am so excited to share this journey with you all!

Baked Ziti

This is one of my all time favorite deployment meals because it makes A LOT of food and is pretty healthy too. I have tossed in spinach before for some added nutrients. I think I adapted this from a Weight Watchers recipe but I can't quite remember. 

Baked Ziti 

Serves 12

	1 pound(s) uncooked whole wheat penne
	3/4 pound(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
	Cooking Spray
	1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
	4 cup(s) store-bought marinara sauce
	1/2 pound(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
	Cooking Instructions

·         Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat bottom and sides of a lasagna pan with cooking spray. 

·         Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cool water and drain.

·         While pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup marinara sauce. 

·         To assemble ziti, spoon 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of prepared pan; top with half of pasta in an even layer. Evenly spread pasta with ricotta mixture; cover with half of remaining sauce. Top with remaining pasta and spoon remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Bake until cheese melts and is browned, about 20 to 30 minutes. Allow ziti to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Meal Plan 1/9-1/15

Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins/Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Salad/Turkey Sandwich
Dinner: Pot Roast

Tuesday
Breakfast: Eggs and Turkey Bacon
Lunch: Pot Roast/Green Smoothie
Dinner: Tiliapia with rice and veggies

Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins/Cereal
Lunch: Green Smoothie/PBJ
Dinner: Meatless Black bean Chili 

Thursday
Breakfast: Eggs and Turkey Bacon
Lunch: Turkey Salad/Turkey Sandwich
Dinner: Turkey Burgers with fruit

Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins/Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Burgers/Green Smoothies
Dinner: Tacos

Saturday
Breakfast: Green Smoothie
Lunch: BLT with fruit
Dinner: Free night

Sunday
Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon
Lunch: Leftovers/Turkey Sandwich with fruit
Dinner: Tuna melts with fruit

Meatless Black Bean Chili

2 cans 15oz Black Beans
1 can 15oz Chili Beans
5-6 diced tomatoes (I use fresh you could use canned)
1 can stewed tomatoes (or you could use fresh)
2 bell peppers chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic

Mix all ingredients in a crockpot and cook for about 8 hours on low heat.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

2012 is starting very much like 2011, with a deployment looming loudly in the background. I can't say I am relieved 2011 is over but I am glad we are moving into 2012 because I have some pretty exciting things to look forward to in the new year. Some of the things I am looking forward to in the new year include:

-Graduating with my Bachelors degree in Accounting.
-Fly fishing trip in Northern Wisconsin
-HOMECOMING! Yes with another deployment comes another homecoming which is the most amazing feeling ever.
-Finding a full time job.
-Growing my It Works! business.

I am looking forward to the upcoming year even though S will be gone for a good portion of the year I think we will have a good 2012. I don't really get into the whole resolution thing because I think we can make lifestyle changes, achieve goals, and all of that fun stuff anytime of year. Some of the things I plan to work on in 2012 include:

-Read the bible. Build my relationship with God.
-Find a church home and attend regularly.
-Continue my journey to eat clean.
-Reach my  goal weight.
-Be more organized.
-Get out of debt.
-Stay out of debt.
-Stick with blogging.

I hope you have an amazing and blessed 2012.

~Amy~