Showing posts with label fit along. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fit along. Show all posts

Monday, December 21, 2015

Fit Along Friday

It's Fit Along Friday on Monday! I just made the most delicious meal! It is Acorn Squash with Apple, Cranberry & Sausage Stuffing. Oh it was so yummy!!!



Yesterday I went to the grocery store and got enough supplies to make about 7 slow cooker meals. My plan was to prep them all and then put 5 of them in the freezer and leave the other two in the fridge to toss into the slow cooker over the next few days. But I had to go somewhere and I didn't get it all prepped. I had big plans of prepping and taking pictures. Hopefully I'll be able to get it done tonight before all my food goes bad!

As for the meal I made today it was so yummy and I had to share my modifications to the original recipe.  The original recipe can be found here.

Acorn Squash with Apple, Cranberry & Sausage Stuffing

Meat - 
1 lb ground pork sausage with sage

Produce-
1 acorn squash (cut into to pieces, remove the seeds, roast face down at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes)
1 apple (I used a granny smith)
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp parsley (I omitted. I don't like parsley)
1/2 tsp sage, dried
1/2 tsp thyme

Canned Goods-
1/4 cup chicken stock

Breads & Baked Goods-
1 cup White Bread (omitted)
2 cups Whole Wheat Bread (omitted)
Instead of the bread I used Almond Flour

Dairy-
2 tbsp butter (omitted)
I used coconut oil to saute the vegetables

I cooked the onion, celery and pork until it was cooked through (I drained the fat from the pork). Then I added the spices, apple, and cranberries. I mixed it all up and then I added the almond flour (I didn't measure it but I think it was a little over a half a cup). Then I added a some chicken stock. I mixed it all up. I added the stuffing mixture to the roasted squash and put the left over stuffing in a container for lunch tomorrow.

It was so yummy and I know I can easily modify this meal and use lean ground turkey instead of the pork. Which I know will be a perfect substitute and make this meal work for the Master Hammer & Chisel Challenge I'm doing starting January 3rd.


My super awesome coach made this header for our challenge group. I got such a huge kick out of it.  If you ever need some motivation just put your head on a super fit person! Damn Byronna and I are looking good :) One of the things I like most about doing the Challenge Groups is being around people that challenge, push and motivate me. I have participated in quite a few of these groups, but this is my first time co-hosting one. If you want to join us the challenge starts January 3rd. You can order the program "The Master's Hammer and Chisel" through my site. I can't wait to get started. I got my disks ordered and I must say I'm happy about the free shipping!!!

If you want to join us or find out more about the program please send me a message and I'd love to give you more information about it.

The Master's Hammer and Chisel
Building a strong, sculpted body doesn't require hours spent working out—just an expert approach. And with The Master's Hammer and Chisel, seasoned trainers Sagi Kalev and Autumn Calabrese have compiled their best, most efficient techniques into 30- to 40-minute resistance-training workouts to help you craft a powerful, perfectly defined physique in just 60 days.
If you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:


Have a great weekend! See you next Friday.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Fit Along Friday



I am really missing taking family portraits this time of year. I am hoping by next year I'll be back in swing of my photography business. Until I find the time for it I have to settle for my camera on a tripod and using the 10 second timer! Even my remote shutter is broken. I need to work on all of that!

With Thanksgiving coming up I've been thinking a lot about what kind of healthy food I can bring to Thanksgiving dinner. I have a lot of intolerance to a lot of foods so I want to make something creative and I came across this recipe for 



I think it looks delicious.  The ingredients are onion, celery, apple, dates, almond flour, sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, salt, pepper, coconut oil and eggs. I was so excited when I was reading though the list of ingredients until I got to the eggs. I am intolerant to eggs and they really bother me. I read some of the comments and I found out that I can use ground up flax seed and water (1 T ground flax and 2 T water and let sit for three minutes) as a binder instead of the eggs. I can't wait to try it out.

WHAT WE I AM EATING THIS WEEK-
Monday lunch- Braised Beef Pot Roast and Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Monday dinner- Grass Fed Beef and Grilled Vegetable Lasagna
Tuesday lunch- Baked Sweet Potato Turkey, Chorizo, Bacon and Spinach 
Tuesday dinner- Veggy Loaded Meatloaf, Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Wednesday lunch- Chicken Salad with Avacado-Lime Paleo Mayo over Seasonal Greens
Wednesday dinner-  Stir Fry Chicken and Vegetables with Lemongrass-Ginger Broth

Do you know how much of that I am cooking? NONE. We have a local Paleo restaurant that does a food service. You can sign up for a three day or five day plan. You get lunch and dinner and it is all packaged in lovely containers and is oh so yummy. Although I do plan on making healthy decisions on Thanksgiving I know I might be tempted by some yummy treats. So I decided to get the food service since I know I am getting great healthy meals for three days and I love the portion control! Plus the meals our mouth watering delicious and not having to cook all those meals frees up some of my time. Since the kids have activities everyday after school I am glad to know I can come home to something good to eat and not feel make bad decisions.

FITNESS TIP OF THE WEEK-
Get up and move. I have found I do much better getting my work done if I get up every 45 minutes and move around. I tend to loose focus after 45 minutes of sitting at the computer and working. I have made playlists on Spotify that are 45 minutes long. I know when the playlist ends it is time to get up and move around. I might even stretch or do a yoga pose. There is nothing like doing a head stand to get the blood to run to your head and refresh you. If you aren't into standing on your head and few trips up and down a flight of stairs will get your blood pumping.

I hope you all enjoy Thanksgiving!!! Make healthy decisions and take a walk! Might I suggest a nice round of TurboFire to get your metabolism going so maybe you can sneak in an extra portion. Remember the key to your metabolism is working out your legs. You have the largest muscles in your legs, do some squats get those muscles warmed up and that metabolism burning!


If you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:


Have a great weekend! See you next Friday.


If you haven't tried Shakeology yet remember you can buy a sample pack and try the different flavors before you commit to a 30 day supply.



Friday, October 2, 2015

Fit Along Friday

Brrrr it got cold here at the Jersey Shore. We are experiencing a LOT of rain right now and we are keeping our eye out for Hurricane Joaquin. Because the weather is so bad we had to cancel our camping trip planned for this weekend. Boo Hoo. We were really looking forward to flash light corn mazes, Jack Hanna's Wild Animals LIVE, amusement park rides and lots of family fun.

But to make it up to the kids we made a weekend fill with lots of other fun and we are going to pick them up from school today so they don't have to ride on the bus. They are thrilled about that!

I took another Yoga class this week and I really enjoyed it. I feel like Yoga is like school. You are expected to follow the instructor and do the poses correctly. I always feel like I'm not doing them right, but I know over time I'll get better. For now I will just keep looking around the room and trying to copy everyone else. The class sizes have been small. I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. The good part of a smaller class size is the instructor can give me more personal time and can help me correct my poses. But the down side of that is I am so sore after class!!!! She beats me up :)



I also started this week using the PiYO slides. Oh my goodness I had no clue I could sweat so much. I did the full body blast and when I was done I was in a puddle of sweat! I haven't done Strong Legs yet. I am finishing up another week of Turbo Fire and then I'm going to make PiYO my main workout again. I'll still do some of the Turbo Fire workouts when I can fit them in. I have to add that one of the reasons I love these programs so much is that there aren't any rules. They encourage you in the work outs to make them your own. To compare this to school these work outs are like recess!! Just lots of fun, but with amazing results!

FITNESS TIP #6- Reward Yourself!!!
Since I don't have a disposable income there are lots of things I want and I can't afford.  I love using Pinterest.  I have a board title "Gifts". If I see something I like I put it in the Gift board.  About a year ago when I started my work out plan I gave myself rewards based on weight I lost. I told myself after 10 pounds lost I could get myself a gift, then the next 10 pounds another gift. This gave me so much motivation! I really loved getting some things for myself even if they only cost $15.00 it was still a big deal that I earned it.

I heard a contestant on The Voice the other night say, "My father always told me a life without goals isn't a life worth living." I say make some goals and go out and achieve them! Oh and reward yourself along the way :)



WHAT WE ARE EATING-
In the crock pot I have a 15 bean soup with diced ham. Aren't the beans so pretty! This is the type of meal that I will add a little of this and a little of that each time I serve it up.




In the directions for the Cracklin' Chicken she writes, 
  • Dry the chicken thighs well, and season both sides of the thigh with salt, but ONLY the meat side gets additional seasoning and/or pepper. If you put other seasonings on the skin, it’ll run the risk of burning. Then, everyone will be sad. Tears are not tasty.
That made me laugh :) 

(this meal is our family's favorite)

Oh those short ribs are the best!

If you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:


Have a great weekend! See you next Friday.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Fit Along Friday



Hi everyone how was your week?! Was it filled with lots of fun things???  Freddy and I had a great time this past weekend at our friends wedding. I spent the entire night in a pretty dress with high heels and danced the night away!!! Sadly I didn't get any good pictures of me in my dress :( There was a photo booth at the reception and we did take pictures..... but I left my pictures at our table. Boo hoo for that, but I did snap a picture with my cell phone.





And of course the beautiful bride and groom.  I got lots of pictures of them! Especially since I was the unofficial paparazzi of the night.



I am sad that the wedding is over. It was one of my big motivations for getting in shape and staying in shape. Now I have to focus on a new event.... I'm thinking about planning a snow skiing trip. You know you have to write your weight down on the ski rentals..... that should be motivation! But truthfully I have wanted to take snow boarding lessons and I'm thinking with my birthday coming up in November I might just actually do it!

What is your motivation? Do you have a big event coming up?

FITNESS TIP #4- SLEEP
Go to bed! Not just that go to bed early. Sleep is so important and you need a lot of it. Everyone needs their beauty rest. Especially for all of you who have been doing the Fit Along and are doing Beachbody Programs or taking daily 20 minute walks. Your body heals when you are sleeping. All those muscles you worked out repair and get stronger when you sleep. So go to bed!

I personally go to bed early. I like to be in bed by 9 pm. Crazy I know! But I have found by going to bed early my body is able to wake up when it has rested enough (not by an alarm clock). So call me crazy for getting up at 4:30 am (or maybe 5:30.. but always by 6:00). But I love it. By getting up after my body has had enough sleep I feel so rested. I love the time in the morning I have to myself to have my coffee and knit. No one else is up and I have no obligations at that time. I don't do laundry, I don't clean, I don't cook anyone breakfast, I just sit and relax for a few hours. I like to watch the news to see the weather and then I listen to an audio book.

I do however tend to stay up a little later on the weekends. But try it for yourself. Try going to bed early and after about 3 nights you will get in the routine. I promise you will see and feel a difference.

WHAT WE ARE EATING-
I hate to see Summer leave, but I am looking forward to cooler temps so I can get back to making roasted veggies.  It is still hot and humid here at the Jersey Shore so most of my cooking has been done in the slow cooker. As soon as the temps go under 80 degrees I'll be putting some spaghetti squash in the oven!

Since it is still so hot out I'm sticking to grilling and the slow cooker.  With opening day of football this Sunday I thought I'd throw in a few fun football meals. I always say "Football makes you fat!"  There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting around watching football and snacking on yummy food. I love spending time with my family and I love the excuse to sit around with them and enjoy a few games.  However to avoid my mid section turning into a football I will be sure to get my workouts in first thing in the morning so I can burn those extra calories all day!!!

Grilled Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloins



(these are great as a meal or an app)


TURKEY CRANBERRY MEATBALLS


And because it is Friday and sometimes you need a little music to get you pumped up for the weekend. Or maybe a little music to get your out of your chair and moving and ready to work out here is Icona Pop's "Emergency".  



If you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:

    I am recommending the TurboFire program for this first "Fit Along".

Have a great weekend! See you next Friday.


Friday, September 4, 2015

Fit Along Friday

Last Saturday I did two things for the first time. I took my first Yoga class and I was on a SUP (stand up paddle board) for the first time!  It was so much fun. Thankfully my instructor was very patient with me. I don't know much of the yogi language and thankfully my instructor talked me through the moves.





From doing PIYO I know things like down dog, child's pose, warrior poses and the difference between open hips and closed hips.

The class was wonderful and I was so amazed at the poses I was able to do. I would have been excited to do them on the ground let alone a SUP. Chalene Johnson always says in her work out videos "you'll be amazed at the things you will be able to do. PIYO will make you so strong." She is so right!

All the pictures were taken by my instructor Shannon.






At the end of the lesson we were allowed to try different poses on the boards. I of course had to try some head stands and I might have fallen into the water several times. It was a beautiful day and I didn't mind the water at all!

If you want more information about the Basic Flow SUP Class you can check out The Endless SUP Company.

FITNESS TIP #3- Wait 10 minutes after you finish eating before you take another bite.
I do a good job portioning out my meals, but sometimes my plate will be empty and my stomach is telling me it wants a second portion. I look at my watch and give myself ten minutes until I take another bite. I would say 95% of the time I do feel full after ten minutes. The few times I am not I have a big glass of water. If I am still hungry I go for the second portion. 


WHAT WE ARE EATING-
Since it is a holiday weekend we have some plan to go out and eat so my cooking is very limited over the weekend. But one of the meals on my list is for Honey Garlic Sticky Ribs.


I am very sorry to see Summer leave. I am going to miss hanging out with my boys. As excited as I am to send them off to school I am that much unexcited about homework! School isn't fun for these kids anymore!!! So much for the days of coloring.




If you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:

    I am recommending the TurboFire program for this first "Fit Along".

Have a great weekend!!!!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Fit Along Friday




I am looking forward to a wedding we have coming up. I had a dress in my closet that I thought would do for the event, but after talking to a friend she insisted I needed step it up a notch since the wedding is at the Brownstone. There are some fancy shmancy people on the guest list and I know it will be a dress to impress event.

So I went out and got myself a new dress. I love it. It sparkles :)  When I got home from the store I tried it on for the boys and Freddy. They all loved it, but Freddy thinks it might be a little see through. I suppose I could get a slip... or just do a few extra PiYo buns work outs this week :)

Today's work out was scheduled to be Fire 30 Class. I did that and Buns. I think this week I'll sneek in a few 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts. Autumn who is the instructor of the 21DFX workouts is not as nice and cheery as Chalene, but I think I'll let her kick my butt to get in shape for the wedding.



TIP #2- DON'T EAT AFTER 7:00 PM

My second fitness and health tip is to not eat after 7:00 pm.  I personally eat in a eight hour window. My first meal (which happens to be Shakeology) I have at 11:00 am then lunch around 1:00 and dinner at approximately 5:30.  Apparently that is called intermittent fasting. I really don't like the term fasting, but apparently that is what it is. By eating in an eight hour window my body has time to process everything I've eaten.  The time that I am not eating gives my body time to go through a cleaning cycle.

If the term fasting scares you let it be known that you are fasting when you are sleeping. So everyone fasts. From what research I have done it seems that women do well with an eight hour window and men with a ten hour window.

I suggest you try not eating after 7 pm. Give you body time to process all the food you already put into it for the day. Resist the junk food after your last meal. You don't need it.

I used to have large fluctuations in weight, but since I started eating in an eight hour window my weight stays consistent and I feel amazing. Try it it's free :) If you want more information about it check out this podcast episode scroll down through the show notes and click play to hear the episode.

The Chalene Show Podcast Show Notes: The 8 Hour Ab Diet with Melissa McAllister: A Little Known Secret for Turning Your Body into a Fat-Burning Machine




WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK


It is easy to use store bought egg roll wrappers instead of making your own with the yuca root.







How are you doing with your fitness? Have you joined my Fit Along yet?

If you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:

    I am recommending the TurboFire program for this first "Fit Along".

Friday, August 21, 2015

Friday Fit Along

I'm so excited for all the people who have reached out to me and have shown interest in doing a Fit Along. I have decided I'll do a post each Friday that is fitness & health related. I'll share some tips and tricks I've learned along my fitness journey that might be helpful to you.

TIP #1- DON'T GO TO THE GROCERY STORE

We fortunately have a several ShopRites in our area that offer the services of "ShopRite From Home" and "ShopRite From Home Delivery". If you have these services available at your local grocery store I highly recommend taking advantage of them. If you don't physically go into the store you won't be tempted by all the sugary unhealthy treats.  They will never make it into your cart and ultimately not into you!

I don't leave my eating or meals to chance. I use a planner to write down all of my meal as well as my husbands and kids meals for the week. If I know in advance what I am planning on eating for the day I don't randomly search through the cabinets and snack on unnecessary junk.

When I plan out my meal for the week I make a list of all the ingredients I'll need. The items I don't have at home I put onto my online shopping order. One of the things I really like about the online ordering is I can add an item when I remember I need it. The list stays saved so I can go back to it another day. It is also nice that they have a page where you can view previous things you have bought. I will scan this over to see if I forgot any of the essentials.

I keep a tight budget at home and I have a weekly grocery allowance worked into the budget. One of the best features of the online shopping is how much money I save! I can see what items are on sale and chose them.  I also like that I can see my total cost before I check out. There is nothing worse than checking out at the grocery store and then they tell you, "that will be $354.23." How the hell did that happen! I try to stick to a weekly budget under $150.00.  I have found it easy to do that with the online ordering.

That isn't to say I NEVER go into grocery stores. I do run in to pick up a few quick items and some fresh produce, but I like to do my bulk of the shopping online and having it delivered or picking it up.

The idea of showing up to a grocery store without a list and walking up and down the isles just doesn't work for me anymore. I also find that if my meals aren't planned out so much food gets wasted! Plan your meals and you will get your moneys worth.

I get a lot of my meal ideas from Pinterest. Oh wonderful Pinterest!!!! If you are interested in what we are eating this week here are some of the meals.














I find the best part of shopping from home is the time and money it saves me. Also when I do the pick up service I get to sit in my car and knit until they bring out my groceries and load them into my car.

I'll be back next Friday with more food ideas and tips.



Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Beachbody My Story & a Fit Along



Last November my gym posted a notice that it would be closing it's doors on December 31st. I really loved my gym and I was very sad to hear it was closing. It was a small gym, but I enjoyed using the treadmills, elliptical trainers and the equipment. I never did any of the classes that they offered. Mostly because I was embarrassed to join a group of fit people.  Once I heard of my gyms closing I started looking at other gyms in the area. Most of them were more expensive and I knew I should really take advantage of the classes they offered to get my full money's worth.

I have always been a very active person and I run and exercise regularly. I always say I have had to run 5-10 miles a week to remain chubby.  I have not been very fit since I was in high school. I have always envied the bodies of people that do Yoga and I really wanted a fit body with long lean muscles. I really didn't think that was an actual thing that could happen. Especially after having two kids.

I did some research and it looked like Piyo was a good fit for me. It is a Beachbody program that you do at home from video.  It is a combination of Pilates and Yoga. I ordered one disc from the program to try it out. I got Hard Core on the Floor. After my first workout I was hooked! I did the workout disk several times in December and then I decided I really enjoyed Chalene Johnson (the instructor) and I ordered the whole program. 

The Piyo program is a series of work out videos. It comes with a calendar and I did different workouts for six days a week. Most of them ranged from 20-30 minutes. After a few weeks I was seeing amazing results. I loved that the only equipment I needed was a yoga mat and I could do all the workouts in my family room in front of the TV. I even brought it camping with us and I can do it in out travel trailer. You really don't need much space to do the workouts.



After a month of doing Piyo I was amazed at my strength. As a knitter I tend to have a SORE shoulder all the time. Yes I do have knitting injuries if you are a knitter you can relate. I also get a sore back from spinning yarn. Also my back was sore all the time from all the heavy lifting I do at the alpaca farm. The more and more I did Piyo the less soreness I was having! 

I now have no back pain and no problems with my shoulder. My shoulder injury was one that started back when I played goalie in soccer. I had crashed down so many times on my left shoulder going after the soccer ball that I thought I would never be able able to have a normal shoulder again. I was told that surgery would fix it or I could stop playing soccer. I choose to stop playing soccer. 

Before doing Piyo I couldn't lift my left arm above shoulder height. Now I can do ANYTHING with it pain free. It is amazing! 



After completing the Piyo program I purchased the TurboFire program.  This program has changed my life! It is so much fun. I used to run on a treadmill, but this is so much more fun. It is a combo of martial arts, kickboxing and hip-hop moves. It is like a little dance party in my house everyday. 



Another program I purchased was 21 Day Fix Extreme. This program is for 21 days and it is like having a personal trainer in your house. The workouts get you amazing results.  I had muscles I didn't know even existed after completing this program.  But I didn't enjoy it as much as Piyo and TurboFire. Those two programs are ones I can do as a lifestyle and do everyday. That isn't to say I don't do the 21 Day Fix anymore. I do enjoy the workouts and I mix them into my weekly workouts several days a week. 

By committing about 30 minutes a day to these workout videos 6 days a week I have lost over 60 pounds. But  more than that I feel amazing. I am in the best shape of my life.  I am so much more active and I look forward to everything!!! 



I also have to add I drink Shakeology everyday. I LOVE it. I mix mine with water and ice and have it as a smoothie once a day. I love the Strawberry and Tropical Strawberry flavors.



I love that in the Piyo program the crew are all in their 40's and Chalene says she is in better shape now in her 40's than she was in her 20's.  Also the people in the videos are ones that have had all their results with the Beachbody programs. Some of them have lost over 100 lbs. It doesn't matter your age, weight, or fitness level anyone can do these programs.  You take them at your own pace and do what you can. If you are already in great shape these programs will only help you to be even better.

But of course most importantly my huge motivation for loosing the weight was so I need less yarn to knit sweaters. Seriously! Knitting is expensive. I have lost over 31" over my body. That is a lot of yarn saved!!! Also to me a 30 minute work out video equals hours of guilt free knitting on the couch :) 

I am running a Challenge Group for the Beachbody program TurboFire. The Challenge starts August 3rd and runs the length of the regular class schedule. That is 12 weeks. Then there is an advanced schedule that runs for an additional 8 weeks: Oct 26th - Dec 20th. Like I have said before I do these workouts as a lifestyle. You might go to the gym everyday. I do my workout videos everyday. TurboFire is a great workout to do everyday. It will get your heart pumping and burn fat! You can sing along with the music and have a fun time. 



I know some people say they want to loose 5 lbs or maybe 15. This program will help you loose all the weight you want, but it will also help you stay healthy.  I don't plan on loosing more weight, but I do plan on using this program to stay healthy. 

I enjoy the Beachbody programs so much I decided to sign up to be a Coach. I made up my mind to be a coach after I realized that just like the online knitting community I have become a part of I was also becoming a part of a fun fitness community. A lot of the people doing these workouts are just like me. Just like all the like minded people I have met through Yarn Alongs, Knit Alongs, Blogs and Podcasts there are so many like minded people in the fitness world. Not crazy gym rats, but people that have fun working out in their homes and sharing their stories with other people. It is fun to be in a Challenge group and seeing everyone's progress and stories. Maybe I'll change the name from Challenge group to Fit Along!  Just like I love seeing pictures of half knitted shawls and sweaters and hearing about what books people are reading I also love hearing about people's favorite workouts, recipes and motivational stories.

So if you want to join me in my Fit Along here are the steps:

    I am recommending the TurboFire program for this first "Fit Along".

I am not good at following rules so if you join late that is okay. We'll still let you in the group!