Off track...literally

My treadmill is dead.  I am sad.  The belt was loose and kept slipping when I tried to run, and there would be a horrible burnt smell after I tried.  After my hubby tightened it, the belt doubled onto itself.  Boo.  So, I'm hoping Santa Clause comes through for me and gets me a new one because I have a hard time exercising consistently without it. 
On the good news side- I have a new favorite Spark flavor!  Pink Lemonade!  Yum Yum! So good. 
After the first of the year I might just have to do another cleanse to get back on track after being without exercise for over two weeks and yummy treats the holiday brings.  :)

New Exercise Routine

One does not live by cardio alone.  While I think Cardio is awesome to keep you in shape and the lose weight, once you reach a plateau you need to add more.  More muscle= a toned, fit look.  While I like my Advocare 'Can you 24' workout DVDs, I get tired of workout videos.  So I went to pinterest to find something easy and do-able.  I printed off this list I found and trying to follow it.

I'll let you know how it goes!  I'm still feeling good with my progress, and last I checked I was down over 2 inches from my waist! 

Another Pinterest Find

Another find from pinterest- a snack that isn't technically Advocare or Allergy friendly, but if you have to have chocolate may be a good alternative to your favorite candy bar!

They didn't have a name, so I'm going to call them chocolate bites.  You melt your choice of chocolate chips in the microwave (30 seconds at a time, mixing each 30 seconds until smooth).  Drop it onto wax paper by the spoonful, put on some nuts or dried fruit and tada!

I have made "samples" of dark chocolate (think antioxidant!), milk chocolate, and semi-sweet chips.  I have used a variety of almonds (also antioxidant), cashews, peanuts, and dried fruit to see what I like the best.

Let them sit until hard, or can put in the fridge to speed it up.

I haven't tried it yet because it's still setting up! I'll let you know!

Crockpot meals #2- Allergy Friendly

So I promised a list of crockpot meals and shopping list that are allergy friendly, so here it is! :)

Eli Friendly Freezer Meals

Black Bean Taco Soup – Brown meat and onion, let cool and divide into two bags.  Cook high 1-2 hours or low 2-3.5 hours.  Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

·      1 lb lean ground beef (we used turkey beef)

·      1 medium onion, chopped

·      1 package mild taco seasoning mix

·      1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn

·      1 (16 oz) can black beans drained and rinse

·      1 (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes

·      1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

·      1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis

Cilantro Lime Chicken- makes 2 bags, cook on low for 8 hours, shred meat and serve on tortillas.

·         6 chicken breasts

·         4 tablespoons of lime juice

·         1 bunch of cilantro chopped

·         2 – 16 oz bags of corn

·         4 cloves of garlic- minced

·         1 red onion chopped

·         2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

·         2 tsp cumin

·         Salt and pepper.

Honey Rosemary Chicken- makes 2 bags.  Cook low for 6-8 hours.

·         6 chicken breasts

·         2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

·         2/3 cup honey

·         2/3 cup olive oil

·         6 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

·         2 teaspoons salt

BBQ chicken- makes 2 bags, cook low for 6-8 hours.

·         6 chicken breasts

·         1 12 oz bottle of BBQ sauce

·         1 cup brown sugar

·         ½ cup vinegar

·         ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

·         2 teaspoon garlic powder

Chicken Fajitas- makes 2 bags, cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with tortillas or rice.

·         6 chicken breasts

·         Variety of bell peppers, sliced (about 5)

·         2 large onions sliced

·         Lime juice

·         Chili powder

·         Salt and pepper

Southwestern 2 Bean Chicken- makes 2 bags, cook on low for 5-7 hours, serve with tortillas or over rice

·         6 chicken breasts

·         2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans rinsed and drained

·         2 cans (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained

·         2 cans (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice

·         2 pounds frozen corn

·         2 jars (12 oz) of salsa

Tips:

·         Look over your pantry to see what you have/need.

·         Write instructions (how long to cook) on freezer bag and what is in it to make meal planning easy.

·         If you use potatoes that are NOT frozen boil first for a few minutes or they will turn black in the freezer.

·         Can buy slow cooker liners to save on dishes- they kind of cost a lot but then you don’t have to scrub the crock pot every night to use it the next day!

Shopping List:

Fresh:

·         3 onions

·         5 bell peppers, variety of colors

·         Rosemary

·         1 Red onion

·         Cilantro

·         Garlic- preminced or 4 cloves

Meat-

·         Chicken breasts- 30 breasts total

·         1 pound ground beef or turkey

Canned/Pantry-

·         2-15 oz cans pinto beans

·         5-15 oz cans black beans

·         2-28 oz cans diced tomatoes

·         2-12 oz jars salsa

·         Lime juice

·         Chili powder

·         Salt and pepper

·         1-12 oz bottle of BBQ sauce

·         Brown sugar

·         Vinegar

·         Cayenne pepper

·         Garlic powder

·         Balsamic vinegar

·         Honey

·         Olive Oil

·         Cumin

·         1-4 oz can diced green chilis

·         1-8 oz can tomato sauce

·         1-14 oz can stewed tomatoes

·         Package of taco seasoning

Frozen-

·         5 bags of Frozen Corn

My crockpot meals: version 1

So, school has been much better this semester and I have to say a lot of it has been organizing the rest of my life!  I've even had downtime to read (although from the weight I put back on I probably should have used the downtime on the treadmill...).  Anyways,  I made this document up for a few ladies that I work with that are expecting within the next two months.  The lists I found online were missing things from the grocery store, so I took the time to put together recipes that will cover for 10 days (two bags of 5 recipes) and probably have leftovers!  Hopefully these ladies have time to get them together before babies come and hopefully anyone who needs a list of crockpot meals with grocery list included can use this! I plan on making another version soon that is all Eli/allergy friendly!

Teriyaki Chicken-

   Divide into two freezer bags.  Thaw overnight and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8.  Serve with rice.

·         1 bag of Baby carrots chopped into bite sized pieces

·         1/2 red onion in large chunks

·         20 oz can pineapple undrained

·         1 garlic clove chopped

·         6 Chicken breasts

·         1/2 bottle Teriyaki Sauce

·         2 cups broccoli

Sweet Barbecue Hawaiian Chicken- Divide into two bags. Cook on low for 8 hours

·         6 chicken breasts

·         2/3  cup of BBQ sauce

·         20 oz can of Pineapple chunks, undrained

·         2/3  cup soy sauce

·         ½ cup brown sugar

·         2 TBS corn starch

Salsa chicken- makes 2 bags.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stir in ½ cup sour cream at end and serve over rice.

·         6 chicken breasts

·         2 cups salsa

·         2 packages taco seasoning

·         2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

Cilantro lime chicken- makes 2 bags- cook on low for 8 hours.  Shred meat and serve on tortillas.

·         6 chicken breasts

·         4 tablespoons of lime juice

·         1 bunch of cilantro chopped

·         2 – 16 oz bags of corn

·         4 cloves of garlic- minced

·         1 red onion chopped

·         2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

·         2 tsp cumin

·         Salt and pepper.

Pot Roast- make 2 bags- cook on low for 8 hours.

·         2 small hunks of beef roast or pork roast

·         Red potatoes- chopped

·         1 bag of baby Carrots- chopped

·         1 Yellow Onion- chopped

·         Celery- chopped

·         2 cans of beef broth

Shopping List:

Fresh veggies:

·         Bag of red potatoes (or can buy frozen potatoes)

·         2 red onions

·         1 yellow onion

·         Hearts of celery

·         2 bags of baby carrots

·         1 bunch of broccoli (or can buy frozen)

·         Cilantro

·         Garlic- 5 cloves or pre-minced

Meat-

·         2 small beef or pork roasts or 1 large to divide

·         About 24 chicken breasts

Canned/Pantry-

·         Lime juice

·         2 cans of black beans

·         Salsa

·         2 packages of taco seasoning

·         2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

·         Soy sauce

·         Teriyaki sauce

·         BBQ sauce

·         2 cans of pineapple chunks

·         Brown Sugar

·         Corn Starch

·         Cumin

·         2 cans of beef broth

·         Large Freezer Ziplock bags- at least package of 10 for these recipes

Frozen-

·         2 bags of corn

·         Broccoli (if not fresh)

·         Potatoes (if not fresh)

Dairy-

·         Sour Cream

Tips:

·         Look over your pantry to see what you have/need.

·         Write instructions (how long to cook) on freezer bag and what is in it to make meal planning easy.

·         If you use potatoes that are NOT frozen boil first for a few minutes or they will turn black in the freezer.

·         Can buy slow cooker liners to save on dishes- they kind of cost a lot but then you don’t have to scrub the crock pot every night to use it the next day!

Results are in!

Results are in!  My 10 day challenge is over, and I am down 4 lbs, 1.5 inches off waist, 1 inch off hips and 1/2 inch off bust.  Most importantly, I'm eating better and exercising again.  Keeping in a healthy lifestyle is the key to maintaining and I screwed up for awhile.  But now it's time to get back on track and keep it up! 

At it again!

So I'm back in the habit.  Which habit?  Eating well and exercising!  And I'm getting started right with another 10 day cleanse from Advocare!  I love this product for helping me feel full, giving me energy, and keeping my mind on the goal!  The last three months have been rough- I haven't been eating well at all, haven't exercised almost at all, and just in general been lazy with my body.  Time to get back in order before the holidays! 

I started different this time, by getting back into exercise and using a "cleansing water" before starting the Advocare products.  I got the recipe from a friend and it's super simple- a sliced cucumber, a sliced lemon, mint leaves and water.  Tastes clean and fresh.

Then I started by 10 day cleanse and really kicking up the exercise.  I'm on day 7 now, so I don't have final results, but when I do the "pinch test" (pinch my own fat rolls!  lol)  it's smaller!  I'm taking Catalyst too to really burn the fat!  Too much candy the last few months :(.
Advocare recommends using the herbal cleanse every 3 months- I don't do it that often but whenever I really start slacking off it works for me to get back into it!  So we'll see at day 10 what results bring. :)