Veggie sandwhiches...yum & easy

First off, let me say I'm going to do a 2 week check in update later tonight probably where I post new pics of my bod and my current stats. I just have to wait until my husband gets home to take the pics (my timer wasn't working on my camera). Poor hubby lol.

Secondly, just wanted to let you know I hate salad. Leaves are not satisfying to me and I'm always craving something more after I choke down a few bites.

But, obviously they are really healthy (especially with spinach) and lots of raw veggies or fruit or added meat. I've tried to force myself to eat them and I gag and don't feel full. Although, I have made some good ones in the past that are really tasty and don't taste like "salad." For example, sauteed chicken breast, spinach, I warm up mango salsa as dressing, throw in some onions and bell peppers. I love warm salads.

Another way I sneak in salads is by having it in sandwich form....a veggie sandwich specifically. I was so weirded out by them for years and never ever considered ordering one from anywhere because I thought they were reserved for vegetarians. Who would want a sandwich with only vegetables....seriously? But...I was definitely knockin' it before I tried it. The first one I ever had was at a cafe near campus during Lent a couple years ago. It was Friday, I couldn't have meat, but I was starvvvvvvving. So I ordered one, and LOVED it. This sounds weird to say, but you can't even tell there is no meat on it. With the cucumbers and bell peppers it was so refreshing and crunchy and unexpectedly satisfying, especially if you get really great bread.

***Just to remind you, my attempt to get fit is not about fad diets, not about cutting carbs (although limiting simple carb intake is an effort of mine)...therefore I do eat bread. To me diets are not sustainable. I need a lifestyle change because I want my weightloss and fitness to be permanent.***

So for lunch today, I took pita bread slathered it with homemade roasted red pepper hummus (LOVE LOVE LOVE HUMMUS!!!!!!!!) and stuffed it chock full of romaine lettuce, red bell peppers, cucumbers, and whole almonds (for added crunch and protein). The hummus added GREAT flavor as well as "moisture" to my otherwise dry concoction. I put some Jalapeno chips on the side (just a few) because we have hardly any produce in the house since we're waiting to pick up our Bountiful Basket tomorrow. And obviously had my iced coffee with coconut milk creamer.

It looked way better in real life than in this picture.

These are the chips (they would be delicious with guacamole for entertaining. They actually do have some zing!)

I also bought these sweet potato chips, but haven't tried them yet.

To be honest I'm not a big chip person, but they are good to have off hand for dips when we have company. So hopefully I'll even finish them before they expire. :)

ALSO GREAT NEWS! Old Navy is having a sale on all women's knit dresses tomorrow, but it's only from open until noon! So hurry, grab some cute summery dresses while they last!

VACATIONS SABOTAGE ME!

I'm sure I'm not alone when I acknowledge the fact that going on vacation absolutely seems to sabotage your efforts to eat healthy & exercise. I did pack some exercise clothes in hopes to get up early and take a run, but being 3 hours ahead of home time combined with travel, an infant, and go-go-go activities all weekend I chose to sleep instead. Hey, I'm human.

Had a wedding this weekend and family get togethers with the in-laws....so obviously good food was at hand. And I said GOOD food, not GOOD FOR YOU food. :) My body worked overtime this weekend trying to process cake, casseroles, booze, quesadillas, mozzarella sticks, sliders, and the like. It was all sinfully delicious!

BACK ON THE HORSE!

It's only 12:25pm and I've already made 3 big GOOD decisions today:

1. I made a healthy breakfast instead of my go-to option...cereal. I used cage-free chicken laid eggs to make scrambled eggs with organic red bell pepper, organic spinach, and a jalapeno (I LOVE hot stuff). I cut up some organic strawberries on the side (so ripe and delicious). I made an ice coffee by pouring hot coffee over a big glass of ice and putting a splash of So Delicious brand coconut milk French Vanilla coffee creamer (it is dairy free and so yummy).

2. My husband signed us up for Bountiful Baskets today. A local co-op (that they have in other states too) where you pay a flat fee ($15 for regular, $25 for organic...we did organic) weekly and you go to the designated location and pick up a giant basket of locally grown fresh seasonal produce. You have to sign up weekly (so you can opt out of it some weeks if you want) but you never know exactly what you're going to get....exciting cooking opportunities to work with new things! It is 50% veggies and 50% fruit. People we know who've done it LOVE it and say they always have extra food. It is a GIANT price break than paying grocery store prices...and I'M ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL FARMERS!

***check out their website! http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

3. I had a fellow mom friend of mine bring her son and we did an INSANITY workout video while the babies played in the living room with us. HOLY CRAP! I hope I didn't scare her out of doing some more with me! It was the super hard one called "PURE CARDIO"....we were sweating like pigs!

So, yea....I went haywire this weekend with fitness and eating right...I just had no regard for it. That certainly will be my challenge and focus for our next trip. But I'm not letting this derail me! ONWARD HO! This mama is determined to drop some L-B's!

So a challenge for you: make 3 good choices today! Whether it is going to bed early, doing something for your spouse, getting some housework done, eating right, cooking something new, working out, doing something for yourself (nails, etc.) DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD no matter how big or small...get 3 in there! :)

WATERMELON-JALAPENO ICE POPS

This next on my "to make" list...I've just got to go get some ice pop molds. But yum...seriously.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 ice pop)
HANDS-ON: 10 MINUTES
TOTAL: 6 HOURS, 10 MINUTES

Ingredients
3 cups fresh red or yellow watermelon cubes, chilled
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
1 tablespoon liquid pectin
1 large jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded
2 teaspoons grated lime rind

Preparation
1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender, and process until pureed. Stir in lime rind. Pour into 8 (3-ounce) ice pop molds. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

Cooking Light magazine.

GRILLED CORN ON THE COB WITH ROASTED JALAPENO BUTTER

Hurry...make this before summer is over and corn is out of season! Crowd pleaser for shiz!

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: 1 ear corn)
HANDS-ON: 25 MINUTES
TOTAL: 25 MINUTES

Ingredients
1 jalapeño pepper
Cooking spray
7 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ears shucked corn

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Place jalapeño on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill for 10 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning occasionally.
3. Place jalapeño in a small paper bag, and fold tightly to seal. Let stand for 5 minutes. Peel and discard skins; cut jalapeño in half lengthwise. Discard stem, seeds, and membranes. Finely chop jalapeño. Combine jalapeño, butter, lime rind, honey, and salt in a small bowl; stir well.
4. Place corn on grill rack. Cover and grill for 10 minutes or until lightly charred, turning occasionally. Place corn on serving plate; brush with jalapeño butter.

Cooking Lightly magazine.

SKILLET PORK CHOP SAUTE WITH PEACHES

I made this for Matt a few weeks ago. It was delicious, FAST, and made great left overs. I served with brown rice instead of couscous. From Cooking Light magazine.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop, 4 peach wedges, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons broth mixture)
TOTAL: 20 MINUTES

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (4-ounce) center-cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons butter

Preparation
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper. Add chops to pan; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chops from pan, and keep warm. Add shallots, thyme, and peaches to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Stir in broth and honey; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter. Spoon sauce over chops.

LOOKIN' GOOD IN THE MEANTIME!

Obviously, I'm not going to get my "babe" body over night, nor am I over the next two weeks. It's going to take time. As we've all heard before, "It took 9 months to get this way, it'll take at least 9 months to get back to where you were!" Then I like to add on, "Not if you're a celeb and have a personal trainer kicking your ass every day and private chef making you healthy meals and a full time nanny watching your kid." But, that's besides the point, and that's not my reality.

So, what do I use/do/have that makes me feel pretty right now? It is important that you feel good. When you feel good you have a kind of confident energy which is great for your child and your marriage. Plus, it gives you a feeling that you have a little "me time" or doing something for yourself, which seems hard to come by these days with a little turkey running around! (Well, in my case, laying around) :) Here are some fun things I'm loving right now that won't break the bank!

1. Remington curling wand: to get those great waves you see celebs have. It's only $24.99 at Target. I've only used it twice and I need to practice more, but I love it! It's pink and comes with a glove so you don't burn your hand when you wrap your hair.

2. THE BEST MASCARA ever! L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen. I've been using it for about 2 years now, LOVE it. If you like thick, voluminous, dramatic lashes...try it out:

3. I have these in my medicine cabinet but haven't been using them as much as I should...but what makes you feel better and look better than a pearly white smile??! :)

4. Since I'm retired from the tanning beds, I like to use sunless tanner...and I've tried A LOT searching for that perfect one. This one is one of my faves if you want some color within an hour (otherwise the lotion ones are great for building.) But I put this on before I go out on a date with Matt, or with the girls. Lots of color, VERY light scent (that's important!), and some shimmer. L'oreal Sublime

5. Since Christmas time, I cannot get enough of the Bath n' Body Works Slatkin and Co. Candles. They have the most magnificent scents and the big 3-wick ones permeate throughout our entire house. I get great scents that are fun and seasonal (and I stock up when they're on sale!) I light them all day long. Even when I'm eating breakfast! I put small ones in our bathrooms. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Candles automatically put me in a good mood! RIGHT NOW I'M ROCKIN' VANILLA COCONUT...so yum.

6. I'm SOOO in to funky nail polish colors right now. I just get whatever is on sale at Target or the drug store. I just bought a really funky blue-ish green with shimmer, a sherbet orange color, silver, yellow, and purple. So great for summer and makes you feel edgy and trendy. Looks best on short nails.

7. I got this for Christmas this past year and Oprah tooted it on her show apparently. But, it is like a mini facial every night! I LOVE this thing. It gets ALL my makeup off. I wash my face before with my fingers, then use this vibrating brush which exfoliates and gets rid of makeup 6x better than fingers. It feels great and I look forward to washing my face every night! I have it in pink...of course. :) CLARISONIC: MIA (this was about $100 at Nordstrom)

Find some things that make you feel pretty...it is worth it! Or as L'oreal would say "Because YOU'RE worth it." I think I just truly understood that slogan for the first time. ;)

LOSS OF CONTROL

Ouch. Yesterday was a BAD day fitness-wise. No only did I NOT workout I ate like a little oinker. I'm going to be brutally honest with what I ate...yikes!

Started in the morning at Four Peaks Brewery and shared with a girlfriend a beer bread breakfast burrito & cheesy chicken enchiladas with an egg on top.

...and not one but TWO Bloody Mary's

Went to a birthday party and had two cupcakes AND a cake pop (which were delicious!):

Pasta for dinner:

...and not one but TWO glasses of 7 Deadly Zins!

YIKERS. Okay, I've gotta get back on track today. Sooooooooo NOT wanting to do an Insanity workout video but I need to. I think I'll wait until Luke's second nap. I'm vegging right now. :) But seriously, you gotta live a little, but I can't just do this every day. This is a big set back but I'm getting back on the horse!

SALMON SALAD WITH AVOCADO & TOMATO SALAD

Looking for a no fuss, easy, healthy lunch idea? I've made this recipe several times that I found in Women's Health Magazine. It is SUPER easy for lunch and SUPER HEALTHY! Plus, it impresses people and it's a nice light summer dish. If you follow the exact recipe it is only 446 cals...not too shabby!

From the magazine: **SALMON IS A BELLY-FLATTENING POWERFOOD. One recent study found that people on a controlled-calorie diet who ate salmon were satisfied for 2 hours longer than those who didn't eat it, likely because the fish's omega-3 fatty acids helped keep them full.***

I serve it with Thomas' honey wheat english muffins toasted (they are SO yummy & a household favorite)and low in calories, HIGH in fiber!

SALMON SALAD

4 oz canned sockeye salmon
2 Tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
1 tsp fresh dill (I've used dried, and it's fine!)
1 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup mixed greens
1 Thomas' 100-calorie English Muffins (I use the honey wheat ones instead)

AVOCADO & TOMATO SALAD

1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup diced tomato
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 clove of garlic minced


LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THING OF THIS!! :) Enjoy.

SOMETHING THAT EXCITES YOU!

I know I won't have time tomorrow, but I wanted to make a quick post about a little tip of mine that has worked for me for years: if you have to do something less than desirable, get something/wear something/make something that makes it a little less painful! For example: it's always a bummer when school starts back up again and you know you'll be jotting down tons of dreaded lecture notes. Well, get a fun pen in a fun color and you'll look forward to using it! Same with working out...if you're dreading it, jazz it up.

I LOVED colored felt tip pens to take notes in! My notes look awesome!

Here are some ideas:

1. Get a cute new workout outfit that makes you feel good & you're excited to wear
2. Get brand new shoes (spending a little extra $ in this department has never failed me, I love ASICS... the best!)
3. Make a killer playlist on your ipod of new songs
4. If you like to swim to exercise, get a new swim suit
5. If you want to run, go to a park or somewhere that's really beautiful & serene, or perhaps busy and populated (that always motivates me to run harder when I feel people are watching me, hehe)

You get the point. Get or do something that gets you excited.

For me, I got Vibram Five Finger shoes from REI...yes the weird toe shoes.

I got the Bikilia LS model made for women specifically for running. There's talk on both sides arguing for and against these shoes, they aren't for everybody, but I like the theory behind "barefoot" running. To read more about it you can visit: http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

My mother in law also gave me a pair of NEON PINK running shorts. Undoubtedly, the best color in the world so I love them.

So...what will motivate and excite you?

THE FIRST DAY - all about choices

That's right. It's all about choices, and it's hard to get this in to my brain, but they add up! Little meaningless choices really do add up when you choose the right thing day after day. For example, Luke went down for his first nap this morning, I chose to do the INSANITY "Fit Test" and the P90x ab workout video my brother burned for me. I chose to eat cut up veggies with hummus & a salad today for lunch vs. mac n' cheese which was looking like a delicious option today by the way. I did eat 2 oreos, but again, I chose to stop at 2 vs. 5!

FIT TEST

Again, I'm starting to do the INSANITY videos because it works for me. It is hotter than the depths of hell in AZ these days, so working out outside past 6am is not an option. I don't like working out in gyms, and I can't do boxing classes/yoga classes because...well, I have this thing called a child. SO, these videos are great because they're about 45mins (the approx length of Luke's naps), I can do it in my living room, and I can do it in a bra and underwear if I so choose to! :P I totally agree with the type of fitness training they do in these videos, I find it most effective and most challenging. Check it out! http://www.insaneworkoutprogram.com/

The very first video is called a "fit test" and you do it every two weeks to track your progress. You do certain movements for 1 minute each and see how many times you can do it. The objective is to get more and more every 2 weeks. Here are my starting numbers:

Switch kicks - 118
Power jacks- 41
Power knees - 76
Power jumps - 27
Globe jumps - 10
Suicide jumps - 17
Push up jacks - 18
Low plank oblique - 42

Until next post...adios amigas!

THE UGLY BEGINNING

I cringe posting these pictures because they are so personal and embarrassing. Let's hope I look different over the next few months otherwise I'll regret this until the day I die! :) Here's my list of excuses: I'm a mom of a very high maintenance 6 month old who requires TONS of energy and TONS of attention which wipes me out, my husband works REALLY long hours a lot (12+ hour days) so I have the baby from sun up to sun down by myself, I'm starting school back up again this Fall (organic chemistry and lab). Trust me, it's a lot easier to sleep in that extra hour, or while the baby is napping to just sit and watch TV instead of doing a work out video. But let's see if I can gradually start changing that!

Here's my current stats of July 7, 2011:

WEIGHT: 129.5 lbs
SIZE: 6-8/M
TARGET WEIGHT: 115 lbs
MOST SELF CONSCIOUS ABOUT: legs and butt
MOOD: unmotivated, lethargic, not sexy, not confident, fatigued

THE PLAN!!!!!!!!

We've heard it a thousand times: fitness and health are a LIFESTYLE, not a fad or diet. I do not do fad diets, nor am I a fan of them. I am not using anything synthetic, just old fashion eating healthier and exercising.

I used to LOVE running and my half marathon was the most exhilarating thing ever, plus I dropped weight like a banshee when I started getting to long distances like that. Therefore, I plan to start running again. Small distances at first, a mile or two, work my way up (plus I'll get a little sun too!)

INSANITY videos. I wanted these and Matt got them for me for Christmas this year. He got them gently used on Amazon so they were a fraction of the full price. It is just like P90x but you don't need any equipment and it's all circuit training...you'll never sweat so much in your life! They give you a 60 day challenge, but it's hard to do it for 6 days straight per week; so I'm not going to beat myself up over it if I don't.

Eating healthier*. Matt and I started going organic with our produce and cage-free/grass fed/hormone free with our meat. Yes, we pay quite a bit more, but it's important to us so we're willing to do it. Sunflower Market and Sprouts has some great things (Whole Foods for the unusuals, but they are so $$!) I put a * by it because I know I'm not perfect and I'm not going to give up just because I hate 3 oreos in 3 seconds one day. It's about little choices that add up: a salad at a restaurant, no cheese, a side salad vs. fries, raw veggies vs. chips, fruit vs. cake, etc.

MOTIVATION...or lackthereof

Hi! So as you may know, my husband Matt and I had our darling son, Luke on January 13th, 2011. He will be 6 months next week; hard to believe. I've been debating about blogging for awhile now; mostly because of the topic I wanted to blog about...fitness & weight loss post-baby. If I was going to do it, I wanted to do it hardcore: posting before/after photos along with progress along the way. I'll also be adding in some other random info/articles/tips/recipes that may be of interest.

 Probably like most moms, I had my first baby and thought, "I'm going to be a hot mom. I'm going to drop this baby weight FAST and be lovin' life." Well, funny how babies seem to suck all of your energy, sleep, and therefore motivation to workout and eat healthy. And if you're like me, EATING right is the hardest part. I cannot RESIST overeating (if it's in front of me I'll eat it), snacking, or resist sweets that are readily available (and do I eat just one? No...I eat zillions of whatever it is). I'm my own worst enemy, I use food as a reward or a comfort. We all know that eating healthy and being active makes you feel great! So why is it so hard?

I have to be honest, I'm hoping "publicizing" my efforts to trim down and get healthy will keep me accountable for doing so. I'm willing to "bare all" as a last resort because I simply cannot motivate myself right now. I'm hoping I can maybe inspire another post-baby woman hoping to shape up, too! It's not easy, but being a fit and healthy woman will help you be a better mom and have energy for your child, a better wife and have energy for your husband, and give you your confidence back!


Gotta get back to where I once was: healthy, happy, fit!