My Fitness Journey So Far

So far, I have lost 53 pounds in 6 months! Woohoo!

I just wanted to take a few minutes and thank those of you who have been super supportive and inspiring! I have met so many wonderful new people so far, and I am absolutely blown away by the kindness and motivation that people share! I am part of two fitness groups on Facebook, and the encouragement from each and every member is wonderful! Having a "fitfam" has made this journey so much more bearable! Who wants to go through it alone?!

If you're on a journey, and if you feel alone- you're not! There are so many people out there willing to give you a little push, motivation, and even offer advice! I will stand by your side, or behind you to give you that extra little shove if you need it! You're not alone, we're all in this together! I have an accountability partner, Suzie, whom I check in with daily and we share what we have done (as far as working out) that day.  I also met Sara, who's motivation keeps me motivated! She's just plain awesome and so encouraging! If you need a partner, let me know. I will try to set you up with someone, or I will check in with you daily to help keep you motivated! We all can be an inspiration to one another. We're not here to compete, but to empower! You've got this!

No, I am not a fitness coach. No, I am not an expert. No, I don't get paid. No, I don't pretend to know everything about anything. I am simply addicted to my workouts, and am in the process of making it a habit and not a "have to." Yes, I will offer you advice if you ask for it. You can take it for what it's worth, or throw it out the door. What works for me, may not work for you. We're all different, but sharing the same journey. Don't walk alone, it's much more fun when you know there are people out there who've got your back!

Yes, there will be "haters." There will be people who doubt you- friends, family, acquaintances. Let that be even more motivation to kick some ass and prove them all wrong! Only you can control your outcome.

Have a tremendous Tuesday and email me if you're interested in an accountability partner!
foodielovesfitness@gmail.com

NO, you do not have to be a blogger to have a partner.
Also, share your IG account name with me and I would be glad to follow!
you can find me @foodielovesfitness -leave me a comment that you found my blog and I will follow back!

A quarter of the way through Insanity!

Hi! I can't believe I'm a quarter of the way through Insanity already! Yay! Does it work? Yes. I'm losing inches people! I'm stronger, I'm losing fat, and guess what?! I found some muscle I didn't think I would ever see again! I took the second fit test and some of my numbers doubled! How awesome is that?! 

Here is a photo collage of my transformation so far. The photo of me holding my daughter was in January of this year. The picture next to it was taken today. The photos on top are progress photos and results from Insanity. In just 16 days! Damn! I'm proud! 

I wasn't sure I would ever see muscle again, let alone collarbones! I can't wait to see the changes the next 44 days will bring! 

On a side note, I've also been switching over to Paleo. I'm no expert, just learning! Feel free to leave comments with your blogs and I would love to visit! I need all of the support I could get!

Low Calorie No-Bake Cookies

Low Calorie? Say what!?

Yep, I've found the perfect recipe for no-bake cookies! 54 Calories per cookie! Awesome!
I will give you the ingredients, and tell you how I tweaked it, you choose how you make it, but your calories may change!

Ingredients:
1 Cup Splenda
1/3 Cup almond milk (regular milk is okay, but your calories and fat will change)
2 tablespoons of butter - I use a smart healthy butter that is lower in calories
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder (mocha or coffee)
** here is where I changed it up. I added chocolate flavored lean 25 from GNC
1/4 Cup of creamy peanut butter ** I used PB2.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick oats

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan (medium heat) add Splenda, milk, butter, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil and let the mixture boil for one minute, stirring frequently.

2. Remove from heat and whisk PB2 (or peanut butter) protein powder, and vanilla until well mixed. Stir in the oats.

3. Roll into golf ball sizes and drop onto waxed paper or you can plop them down with a spoon for the "haystack" look. Allow them to cool and setup for 15 minutes and coat with additional cocoa powder, PB2 and finely chopped nuts ** I didn't top mine with anything.

Day 3 of Insanity

Yes, it's still insane. Today my calves are a little more tender too! I read to use a foam roller and roll out the muscle but the thought of it just makes me cringe! Advice?

Day 3 was not a pleasant experience! I found a link online to watch all of the insanity videos until I get mine (hopefully this week)! Yesterday, I even let the video load for quite a while and it still kept stopping (mid-workout) to load! It ended up taking me a little over an hour to finish Cardio Power & Resistance- which as of now is my least favorite video! So when the video would freeze, I would try to do previous exercises and keep my heart rate up because if I don't my Polar ft4 yells at me! All in all, I ended up burning 500 or so calories. -Hey I'll take it! Not to mention I had my 5 month old watching me like I was a crazy jumping baboon!

Click here to watch my silly laughing little one :)

How are your workouts coming along?!

I also was so excited I went grocery shopping and found an aisle with Walden Farms products! No calories, sugar, gluten, or fat- what more could a woman ask for?!

Keep pushing play, and dig deep! You're better today than you were yesterday and if I can do it, you can too! Happy Hump Day!

B's New Workout Routine

This is Britt and my first post so be kind, I am new to this. I have been trying a new workout routine and feeling exhausted when I leave the gym, (which I think is everyone's goal), so I am excited to share!

I have been doing a walk/run to start out. It consists of alternating between 2 minutes of walking, 9.5 incline at 4.5 speed then 3 minutes of running at 3.5 incline, 7 speed. I do this for 25 minutes. Then I sprint for 5 minutes, 0 incline 8.3 speed. By this time my legs are JELLO. Next, I head over to the Row machine. Rowing is great because it is a full body workout. It feels AWESOME looking down and seeing pure sweat! After I drinch my towel, I finish the routine with lifting and abs to get a small cool down before heading out of the gym. Try this workout and tweak a little to fit your needs and feel free to leave comments/questions (unless negative) :) -B

Day 1 & 2 of Insanity

Hi Friends!

Over the weekend I tried the Insanity Fit Test and loved it! I went out and bought myself a Polar Fitness Watch (more motivation) and it was one of the best investments I think I have ever made! It literally pushes me to go harder, faster!

Today I started day 2 of Insanity. Insanity is literally insane. No joke, these people are nuts-o and I cannot wait to be able to keep up with the video!! I have never in my life been so excited about sweating through my clothes and earning every shower.

I won't lie to you, there were moments when I wanted to drop down on the floor and just lay there for an hour and take a nap. I went through 1.5 water bottles, and even during the stretches, I was still dripping sweat. It felt awesome! There were also moments that I felt like my heart was on fire, and I had to stop to let my HR slow down, and take a breather, but I went right back at it and almost burned 500 calories in less than an hour. Holy Hell Batman! I never got those results running!

Yay for Insanity! And I bought the GNC Lean 25, basically trying (keyword trying) to find a similar product to Shakeology because this girl can't spend $150 on those shakes! So far, I like the Lean 25, we will see how well it works for me!

If you're following along on Instagram, I hope you're enjoying #motivationMonday!

Low Calorie Turkey Chili

Doesn't it just look fabulous!?

It tastes even better!

Servings: 8-10 (my batch made 8 cups) at just under 200 calories per cup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Turkey- I used 97% fat free

1 can Organic Black Beans (I found the lowest calories I could)

1 Can Red Beans

1 Lg. Can of Tomato Juice

Kale

Mixed Colored Bell Peppers

Onion

Chili Powder

Garlic Salt

Paprika

(seasonings are optional)

Also Optional:

Greek Yogurt 0% (sour cream substitute)

Part Skim Shredded Cheese

90 Calorie (or low calorie) tortillas or crackers

Directions:

Cook ground turkey like you would ground beef

Once turkey is cooked thoroughly, add your cans of beans and tomato juice. I started with 8 ounces and ended up needing a couple more ounces- It just depends on how thick you prefer your chili!

Add diced peppers and onion

Add chopped Kale- I cute mine pretty small so I wouldn't know it was even it there!

Add seasoning if you choose to do so- Maybe a tsp of each? I didn't measure- just add to taste!

I let my chili simmer for about an hour or so, the longer it simmers, the more flavor you'll get! 

With my leftovers, I saved a bowl and then froze the rest for another day!

Good Luck and Enjoy!

Low Calorie Grilled Turkey Burger

This is probably by far one of my new favorite recipes! I seriously liked it just as much as a regular old beef patty!

One Serving: Approximately 300 Calories

Ingredients:

*Ground Turkey LEAN 97% FAT FREE

*Onion

*Avocado (peeled and cut)

*Salsa- I use Herdez (15 calories per serving- and tastes like restaurant salsa)!

*Low Cal Buns- I just used 35 Calorie whole wheat bread

Jalapeños are optional.

*preheat your grill or stove top (I used a grill)

For the burger:

One serving is 4-5 ounces (read your label). 

Mix in desired amount of onion and a TBSP of Salsa.

-I didn't use a lot of onion because I put onion on top of my burger as well.

Mix ingredients into patty and place on aluminum foil.

**I wrapped my foil around the whole burger so that I could place it on the grill and flip it without the burger falling apart.

I also sliced a few strips of the onion and wrapped them in aluminum foil as well and grilled them (they don't take long at all and burn easy! I used 0 Calorie butter spray as well (maybe 2-3 sprays?)

I also toasted my bread halfway- that's optional!

Once your burger & onions are cooked thoroughly, place on your bun or bread slice. I put about 1/4 of a sliced avocado on top of my burger, along with jalapeños and salsa.

Other toppings are optional- that's just how I prepared mine!

Enjoy!

Baked Taco Salad

Baked Taco Salad

315 calories per taco salad- including the shell!

You will need:

**preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Around 1 pound Ground Lean Turkey- I found 97% fat free

90 Calorie Whole Wheat Tortillas

Lettuce (I used Iceburg) -shredded may work best!

Mixed bell peppers

Chopped onion

*Homemade Taco Seasoning 

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion salt (or powder)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon Oregano flakes

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

*0 fat Greek Yogurt (sour cream replacement) 

*90 Calorie whole wheat tortilla

*Heredez Salsa

1. Cook ground turkey just as you would ground beef. Once finished, add seasoning. -If it seems pretty dry you may need to add some water. I think I ended up using a couple of ounces of hot water. 

2. Add bell peppers and onion to the ground turkey, stir well and place the lid on top, letting the peppers and onion steam and saute with the ground turkey. 

3. **To make my taco salad shell, I put a bundt cake pan upside down on top of a baking sheet and sprayed it lightly with cooking spray and placed my tortilla on top and pushed down a small amount to make sure the torilla wouldn't fall through. I baked my tortilla for around 20 minutes? It really depends on your oven. Just keep checking it- you'll know when it's ready!

4. Once the veggies were sauted and the shell was complete, I put about 4 ounces of taco meat into the bowl. Then, I filled it up with lettuce! I then added a tbsp of Oikos Greek Yogurt, Heredez Salsa, and jalepenos. 

Photo on Instagram

I loved the taco salad, and I hope you will too! 

C-

4 Ingredient Pancakes & Only 77 Calories!

You will need:

2 oz. low-fat cream cheese 

2 eggs (whites only) 

1 packet truvia 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Make sure your pan is pre-heated, it will help the batter not to spread across the whole pan. I would use the smallest frying pan you have!

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all of the above ingredients.

I used 0 Calorie Spray butter  so that they wouldn't stick to the pan.

It actually took them longer than regular pancakes to cook, and they looked a bit funny.
But, they ended up tasting like french toast to me! I also used a little PB2 (chocolate) on top of mine and drizzled a little bit of honey on top.

These were heavenly. My batter made two pancakes and I was full afterwards! Yum!

Enjoy!

C-

PS: for photos of my food, please find on my Instagram! You can see/follow from my homepage Instagram button or find me @foodielovesfitness

Progress

Well I started out at 209 pounds post-pregnancy, and not being able to breast feed didn't help my weight loss either. So to you lucky Mommas who just breast feed and watch the pounds fall off- I hope you know how lucky you are! Anyways, I am now down to just about 160 pounds at 5 months postpartum and it has been hard. I should celebrate losing 40 pounds right? I did a happy dance, but I'm not going to celebrate until I reach my goal weight! The best feeling? Getting dressed, wearing my XL & L postpartum clothes and realizing they are getting baggy!

Today I finished week 2 of C25K! It was harder, but not unbearable! I'm excited and nervous to start week 3! I am not letting anything stop me from continuing my mission to get fit! Counting calories has been the hardest part. I found a meal plan on excel and modified it to fit my calorie intake and that has made life a little easier, along with MyFitnessPal.

Last night was my in-laws anniversary and J wanted to take me out to dinner just to get out of the house for a while and we went to the Mexican restaurant (yes he had to talk me into it, because it's not "on my diet"). So recluctantly I went, and got a chicken taco salad. I either got food poisoning or my body rejected the food I ate. I'm assuming my body has been accustomed to eating healthy and only eating fruits, veggies, healthy meals, and natural foods that it wasn't used to the restaurant food anymore! Lesson learned, next time I will order a salad. And just because Taco Salad has the word salad in it, does not make it healthy.

I also downloaded the Abs Trainer- similar to C25K, and did 185 reps! Not too bad for my first time. Or is it? At least thats 185 reps I wouldn't have done otherwise! Hope you're all having a great week!

Claudia's Chocolate Treats!

I've had a lot of requests via facebook and instagram for this recipe- so here it is! 48 calorie cupcakes!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup oats (old fashion)
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of a sugar substitute. I used Splenda. I ran out of Splenda at 1/4 cup and used another 1/4 of brown sugar.
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 egg whites- 3 TBSP of liquid egg whites = 1 egg. So if you're using liquid egg whites, you'll use 9 TBSP
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. I didn't have unsweetened, so I used 1/4 cup of regular.
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 0 FAT Greek Yogurt (I used vanilla flavored)
1 Cup of hot water
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners (I had enough batter to make almost 24 cupcakes).

In a blender, grind the oats until they are well ground.
Add the remaining dry ingredients into the blender with ground oats. (cream of tarter, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, Splenda/brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa).
  -Put the blender lid on (mine ended up popping off and I had a cocoa powder mess).
  -Blend/Pulse until all dry ingredients are combined.

In a bowl (I used a medium mixing bowl) whisk together all of the wet ingredients (egg whites, water, applesauce, vanilla, greek yogurt).  Then add the dry ingredients all at once to the mixing bowl with wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

I then placed 2-3 TBSP of mixture into each cupcake liner. Once all of your liners are filled, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over each cupcake. (I ended up with around 4 chocolate chips on top of each cupcake).

Bake at 350 degrees for 13-20 minutes. Mine took about 17, but it just depends on how your oven cooks! Check with a toothpick to ensure that they are fully cooked.

Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5-7 minutes before you remove them from the pans.

Enjoy!

New Toy!

This post was written a while ago, but I am just getting around to posting it! I've been busy with the baby and making slideshows for senior open houses! And babysitting a set of 14 month old twins. Phew!

Okay, so I guess it's not really a toy, but I am so excited to use this new baby!

This is called a fitbit flex. I am in no way affiliated with this brand and was not asked to promote it or blog about it. I am just simply so excited to try it out and share my results with all of you!

I've been debating on whether or not to get a Polar FT4, a heart rate monitor watch that also keeps track of your calories burned, but it comes with a chest strap for the HRM, and I'm not one for wearing straps across my chest. I don't even like wearing clothes, at least not layers and heavy clothes. Stop thinking dirty, that's not what I meant!

Anyways, I've been searching all over the cities surrounding me, and even contemplated driving an hour to pick up a Polar watch. While I was on the phone with a woman at Best Buy, she asked me if I had heard of a product called fitbit. She explained to me what it was all about and that her physician actually recommended it to her! I did a little online research and read some reviews, and decided it was more of what I had been looking for (and it's sporty/stylish too). I've never been a watch person anyways- that's why I have my phone out 24/7-  without it, I wouldn't know the time, my plans, or phone numbers. Anyways, I called all of the local sporting good stores and no one carried the fitbit flex. So, I searched at Walmart and Target. Lucky me, Target carries them. I called and the young man on the phone said that he would run to the back and see if he could find one, because he knew they weren't on the shelf yet and he wasn't sure if he could ring it up because it wasn't supposed to hit the floor until June 16. Lucky me, he found one and he was able to ring it up! YES! 

So far, it's been easy to use, with an easy setup too! PLUS it's rechargeable- it doesn't take a battery. The charge is supposed to last 5 days, but we'll see! My favorite feature- it connects to MyFitnessPal.

I recently RE-started my C25K. Yep, again. Only this time, I have double motivation. I have a new tracker, and..... I got a new jogging stroller! Hallelujah! 


Thank you for following along ya'll.

-C-

Operation #GetFit

Hi friends!

Alright, how many of you are one of those women (or men) who are constantly saying "I'm going to start tomorrow," or "I'm going to start on Monday.." -which really means you're going to pig out all weekend and eat all of the chocolate and salty goodness that you can consume. I'm so guilty of this. In fact, I just did it this last weekend! But I'm sick and tired of continuously feeling like a fat failure. 

        This was me pre-pregnancy:

This was me post-pregnancy:

                                                           My 5'1" stature doesn't help!

I know it looks gross, and I know it's not a lot of change, but it's something. And something is better than nothing right?! I wasn't one of those women who only gain the baby belly weight. I gained weight in my flabby arms, my face, my hips, thighs, feet, toes- you name it, it got bigger. We wont even mention my hind end. I think I could balance a can of diet coke on this thing. Kidding, but it blew up like two balloons. No more Miss Me jeans, bye bye Buckle jeans- hello borrowed jeans from my mother and wearing my maternity clothes 4 months post-postpartum.

Here is the progress I've made in the last 4 months. I know it's not a lot, and I forget to remind myself that the weight isn't going to fall off all by itself.

Please, keep the rude comments to yourself. I already know that it looks gross. Hey, guess what?! I am the one living with it! If you don't like it- you can just click your little back button and never return! 

Those of you who have been supportive and sweet, thank you. Your support keeps me going!  

But wait! There is light at the end of the fat tunnel, and the fat train stops here. Last week I started Couch 2 5K (C25K), an app I found on my phone that is supposed to have you running a 5K in about 8 weeks. Now, running a 5K has never been a huge dream of mine. In fact, I used to absolutely despise running. Until I went through a horrible relationship, started my life over, and used running as my release. I fell in love. I found all kinds of new running music, music that made me want to run harder, faster. When I became pregnant, I stopped running, in fear that it would harm the baby. Then the morning sickness kicked in, which in reality was all day sickness. Morning, noon, and night. There was no break, I practically hugged the toilet, trash can, pot on the stove- whatever I was closest to- during the first 7 months of my pregnancy. And then I found a solution around the beginning of my second trimester. Food. As long as I continued eating, I wouldn't feel as nauseated. As long as I ate what I was craving, I usually could keep it down. Lucky me, I craved McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Buffalo Wild Wings. So I went from weighing about 125 pounds, to weighing 203 pounds on the day of my induction. It's okay if your mouth dropped open, but you can close it now. 

As of now, I have lost about 30 pounds. No, I'm not a breast feeding mother, and no, the pounds don't just fall off of you- at least they didn't for me while I was breast feeding. So this means that I have about 40 pounds to go until I reach my goal weight- but I am trying really hard not to focus so much on numbers, but focusing instead on inches. Size 27 jeans, here I come. 

For my operation #getfit, I will be using C25K and another app called MyFitnessPal. 

So I encourage you, no- I challenge you to join us! And by us, I mean Brittney and I- look for Brittney's post soon! And, it's free! No need to buy those expensive shakes and drinks! Whether or not you use the C25K, Jillian Michaels, or yoga (or whatever), I challenge you to join us in operation #getfit! Follow us and tag us on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest! Show us how you're getting fit! Check back for daily posts, healthy recipes, tips, tricks, and more! Also, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email! We'd be glad to hear from you!

Mothers Day 2013

Claudia here!

Well, yesterday was my first Mothers Day! I spent the first half of the day over at my Moms house for a BBQ. My baby girl and I got her one of those Hallmark cards where you can leave hand and feet prints- adorable! She loved it and said she was going to frame it. Best child award goes to me! Kidding.  Then I took the little miss over to J's grandmothers house. We then went back to J's parents, and his nieces and nephews came to play! I love having a house full of kids! I even tried to take a quick nap when M fell asleep, thinking my 4 month old daughter would sleep for at least an hour. HA, that didn't happen! I did however get in a 30 minute power nap!

J also took me to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. I got a drink called The Wallaby Darned. Oh. My. Gosh... Heaven in a glass. I have a picture of it on our Instagram, check it out!

Today I am teaching 4th grade. One plus about a small community, everyone knows everyone- and when you show up and they squeal with joy and want hugs, you must be doing something right!
Speaking of small community- it's about time for planting! Which really means wives wont see their husbands until they come in from the fields late at night and want a hot meal. Which also means I get the house to myself for a while! I love J dearly, but I also like my me time. I get to watch whatever I want on television, I can watch my "chick flicks," use the computer because he's not browsing the web for truck or tractor parts, or new vehicles. Men.

I hope all of you mothers out there had a fantastic mothers day! When I was younger, I had always tried to imagine what being a mother would be like. It's nothing like I had imagined. It's better. Having a child gives you an unexplainable bond. There's an unexplainable love, one you cannot possibly dream of, until you have a child of your own. I thought I loved mexican food, there's a big difference. HA! I am so blessed to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl! We are so lucky that she is a good baby, one that only cries if she is sick, hungry, or overly tired. Thank you Jesus. I know J wouldn't be able to live under the same roof otherwise- M must have taken notes while she was in the womb. I kid. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful man to be the father to our sweet girl. His love for her makes me love him even more.

Happy Monday ya'll!

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B & C