No Bake Energy Balls

Just as the title says, there is absolutely NO baking involved in making this delicious snack that is loaded with protein, fiber, and other nutrients. I made these this morning before leaving for work today, which goes to show that it doesn't take a lot of time at all. Plus, they're easy to just grab and take on the go!

Ingredients:

• 1c Rolled Oats
• 1/2c Natural Peanut Butter (creamy)
• 1/3c Honey
• 1/2c Chocolate Chips
• 1-2T Ground Faxseed
• 1tsp Vanilla
• Optional: 1/3c+ Coconut Fakes

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Roll the mixture into balls, and store in a container in the refrigerator.

I looked at a variety of recipes and these ingredients were the main ones, however I made a few changes with the ingredients & measurements. I substituted rolled oats instead of oatmeal. Other recipes added coconut flakes but I'm not a fan, neither is my boyfriend, so I didn't add them. Also, a lot of recipes used about a 1/2c-1c of ground flaxseed- again, I'm not a huge fan of the taste, so I cut back to 2T. For next time I'd like to use almond butter instead of peanut butter, so I'll report back later :)

Make 'em and let me know what you think!

Tuesday: Day 24 (for lack of a better title)

I'm on Day 24 of Jamie Eason's Live Fit program. I haven't been following the outline exactly, but modifying it as I go. It seems she really wants us to exhaust our muscles each workout, and they're already getting really fatigued even after I've cut out some of the exercises. I've also been doing cardio, which she doesn't recommend for the first month bc she wants us to build muscle, then I think either Month 2 or 3, we incorporate it back in and begin to lean out. I'll probably continue to do my normal cardio routine until then, and then do her suggested cardio workouts.

Goal for tomorrow is to make some no-bake protein balls. I had planned to do it tonight but we had some family over for dinner. I did manage to get my cardio workout in before dinner!

NUTRITION
Meal 1: 1 egg + 1/3c egg whites, refried black beans, ww tortilla; water , 1c coffee, ~1T peppermint mocha creamer
Meal 2: 1/2 apple, 2p canadian bacon; tea, water
Meal 3: Leftover Chicken thai basil + veggies, cauliflower "rice"; water
Meal 4: 10 almonds, 1/2 cucumber; water, tea
Meal 5: Soup: steak, veggies, potatoes, Salad: lettuce, tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette, 1 1/2 rolls, water, 1/2 glass red wine

Workout Schedule:
Sat: 20min Stairs, Chest & Triceps, 15min Stairs, Shoulders & Abs
Sun: 40min run (treadmill)
Mon: Legs, Back & Biceps
Tues: 40min stairs, 15min bike
Wed: PLAN Chest & Triceps, Shoulders & Abs, cardio
Thurs: PLAN Legs + cardio
Fri: PLAN Rest Day

'Tis the Season to Eat

Eating healthy is challenging year-round, however during the holiday season it's 100x harder. You're surrounded by temptation no matter where you look! It's almost as if people want to open your mouth and shove their favorite Christmas cookie down your throat.

I'm trying to come up with tactics that will not only remind me to eat healthy, but actually stop me from making bad choices. I hate feeling guilty after I've eaten something, so how can I avoid this? Up until any meal that I know is going to be test in willpower, I remind myself of my goals, and run this over and over in my head. Sounds like it'd work in theory, but put into practice and this approach absolutely does not work for me.

The most important piece of advice that my trainer told me when I just couldn't understand why I wasn't losing weight, was that "in order to lose weight, you must make sacrifices". The realization of that strong, truthful statement was crucial to my success, and I still need to remind myself daily that in order to reach my goals, there are some things that I will have to give up temporarily, or maybe even long-term. And aren't those things worth giving up in order to reach my potential and be happy? Of course.

Also, you know the saying, 'think before you speak'? What if we all were to 'think before we eat'? Are we really hungry for that, or are we just trying to satisfy a craving? Will eating/drinking that bring me closer, or further, from my goals? Am I going to regret this?

Another important point is before going into a situation where I'll be tempted, I need to eat beforehand. This one is easy! It's nearly impossible to stay away from whatever your eyes land on first if you walk into a situation starving. If you do that, you're just setting yourself up for failure, and why do that to yourself, your body, and your goals?

If I have all these tactics in my back pocket, then I have no other choice than to be successful. What sort of things do you do to help you stay focused?

NUTRITION (Today, Mon)
Meal 1: 1/4c rolled oats, 1/2 banana, coffee + 1/4 equal packet, water
Meal 2: 10 almonds, 2p Canadian bacon , tea
Meal 3: (From Safeway) Chicken noodle soup, salad: lettuce + chinese chicken salad, water
Meal 4: Second half of lunch, water, tea
Meal 5: 1 chicken satay + peanut sauce, chicken Thai basil + veggies, tea, water
Meal 6: 1/2 apple, natural pb, water

Workout Schedule:
Sat: 20min Stairs, Chest/Triceps, 15min Stairs, Shoulders/Abs
Sun: 40min run (treadmill)
Mon:
Tues: PLAN Chest/Triceps + cardio
Wed: PLAN Legs + cardio
Thurs: PLAN Shoulders + cardio
Fri: PLAN Rest Day

NUTRITION (Sun)
Meal 1: Leftover Chicken Thai Basil + veggies, brown rice, water
Meal 2: Subway 6"- wheat, ham, veggies, mustard, chips, water
Meal 3: (@ Cheesecake Factory) Bread, Chicken Chipotle Pasta & veggies, water (lots of leftovers)
Meal 4: Chocolate

Quick Update

A really busy weekend! Only have time to update, but I'll write more later next time!

NUTRITION
Meal 1: Korean ramen, white rice
Meal 2: 1/3c egg whites + Tapatio, 2p canadian bacon, water, coffee + raw sugar
Meal 3: Chicken Thai Basil + veggies, water
Meal 4: Vanilla ice-cream, natural pb, choc chips

Workout Schedule:
Sat: 20min Stairs, Chest/Triceps, 15min Stairs, Shoulders/Abs
Sun: PLAN Legs + cardio
Mon: PLAN Back/Biceps + cardio
Tues: PLAN Chest/Triceps + cardio
Wed: PLAN Legs + cardio
Thurs: PLAN Shoulders + cardio
Fri: PLAN Rest Day

Today's Weight Workout: Chest/Triceps + Shoulders/Abs

Circuit 3x

1. Push-ups 10
2. Incline Dumbbell Press 15lbs
3. Dumbbell Flat bench flyes 12lbs

Circuit 3x

1. Bench Dips 8-10
2. Skull crushers 12lbs
3. Dumbbell Triceps kickbacks 12lbs

Circuit 3x

1. Seated Dumbbell Press 12lbs
2. Dumbbell Front Raise 6lbs
3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise 6lbs

Circuit 3x

1. Flat bench leg lifts 20
2. Medicine ball twists 20-30 Purple ball
3. Physio ball transfers 20

Hallelujah it's Friday

It's been rainy and cold for the last few weeks so my boyfriend and I have been making an extra effort to make new soup recipes. He's been more successful than I have, but he claims to have liked my most recent attempt: Kimchi Jjigae (Korean Kimchi Soup). I wasn't a huge fan of the end result, but it was warm, spicy and pretty healthy, which is more or less what I was trying to accomplish. I need to make more adjustments to the recipe and then I'll post the ingredients and directions sometime later. So for now the picture will have to do ;)

NUTRITION
Meal 1: 1/3c egg whites, 2p Canadian bacon, 1/2 banana, Grande iced coffee (sweetened)
Meal 2: 10 raw almonds, water
Meal 3: 2.8oz grilled chicken breast, cauliflower "rice", water
Meal 4: 1/2 banana, leftover iced coffee
Meal 5: Evening out: shrimp tempura roll, gyoza, white rice, chicken katsu, water, tea

Got Rice?

I LOVE rice and it's unbearable not eating it when I'm having anything that is Asian-flavored. It's like telling someone you can't have bread with your spaghetti or a tortilla with refried beans. It's just not right! However, I've finally found an alternative! I made cauliflower lime "rice"! Sounds... delicious? I was skeptical just like you, but I realized I'm not going to reach my goal weight if I continue to stuff myself with rice. Sure we can say that brown rice is another healthy alternative, but not really when I'm still eating too much of it. Cauliflower rice is obviously not the same, but it's a great substitution :) Plus an added bonus is that it's SUPER easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 lime
• cilantro
• salt/pepper to taste

Directions: Rinse the cauliflower and dry. Cut it up into little florets (just like broccoli). Use a blender, grater, or food processor and "chop" it until it's about the same consistency as rice (I used a food processor and it chopped it up perfectly).

Next, using a fry pan, heat some oil and add the cauliflower and cook it for a few minutes. Then add a handful of cilantro, and some juice from the lime. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Serve warm!

I saw some recipes that added lime zest. I didn't put exact measurements of the lime juice, cilantro or salt/pepper because I feel like you should taste it and add more of whichever ingredient that you like as it cooks. Obviously don't go crazy, but start off with small amounts first.

Variations: There are a lot of recipes online. I found an Asian inspired version: garlic, ginger, soy sauce, green onions, scrambled egg... think "fried rice". Or you can add garlic, parsley, and butter for another dish.

NUTRITION
Meal 1: 1/2c egg whites + Tapatio hot sauce, black refried beans, water/tea
Meal 2: cauliflower lime "rice", 1/2 grilled chicken breast, water
Meal 3: Salad: romaine lettuce, 1/2 grilled chicken breast + balsamic vinaigrette, baby carrots + honey roasted almond slices, water
Meal 4: 2p canadian bacon, 1 hard-boiled egg, water, choc chip cookie (after donating blood)
Meal 5: Korean kimchi soup- pork, kimchi, tofu, green onions + Korean bean sprouts, water

SMART Goals

Time to make a few new, weekly goals!

Lose 2 pounds in 1 week This goal is SMART. Remember, it's better to make a short-term goal instead of saying, I want to lose 20-30 pounds by March. Even though that is my long-term goal, it's overwhelming thinking about it. So instead, I will focus on each week separately. 2 pounds seems like a lot, but I haven't been doing well with both eating & working out on the same days, so if I get that under control, I will be successful.

Another 7 day goal is to document my food every day in this blog. I want to be held accountable for what I'm eating, because this is what I struggle with the most. If I have to make you read what I'm eating, then I better not be writing down crap food!

It's almost 730pm. Better head to the gym before I start getting tired!

Oh, December

This month has been difficult, and it's only about half-way through, and it's just going to get harder. I need to weigh myself tomorrow morning so that I'm no longer in denial. It's time to face the facts and make new goals. I'm 2 days behind on Jamie Eason's program, so tomorrow I need to do 2 workouts: Back/Biceps & Chest/Triceps. I made it to the gym this morning and completed my Leg workout and 20min of cardio. I wrote all my food down in a food log today. I didn't follow my food goals for the entire day, but the fact that I wrote everything down makes me feel good, and that's what matters.

On to the next day! Bring it!

Friiiday!

This cracks me up. Don't we all expect immediate results?

This is the end of week 2 for Jamie Eason's Livefit program. It's really convienent to be on a workout schedule. I don't have to make a decision on what I'm going to do at the gym that day, it's already planned out. The eating guidelines are easy to follow as well, however it's actually putting it into practice that's proven to be difficult for me.

I've got a busy weekend planned, but hopefully should find time to update. Sat we're going to get our Christmas tree, and then Sun we're going to the Seahawks game. Both days I'm hoping to get my workouts done in the early morning. On top of that, I'm also trying to organize too many different rooms at once so my house looks like a tornado went through. Trying to concentrate on smaller areas at a time. It's a slow process like anything else. I'll try to post some before/after pictures too once I'm done. I'm tackling the laundry room this weekend.

What are your weekend plans? Any specific goals to accomplish?

Work Hard to Play Harder

I had made a list of "Don'ts" last night for the Christmas party, but on the drive there I was thinking to myself that year after year, I've always been trying to lose weight. It's almost the end of the year, but it's the same old story... don't eat this, don't drink that. Why was I putting so many restrictions on my favorite holiday season that only happens once a year? I recognize that I make daily sacrifices, and once in awhile it's okay to indulge. Fast forward to today- I had a great night and I ate and drank like everyone else. I think letting yourself have a treat on special occasions is well worth all the hard work that you put in on a regular basis.

We are so busy this month that I'm going to have to pick and chose when I can and should induldge. This month alone we have 3 Seahawk football games, 2 music shows, Christmas, my BIRTHDAY, New Years Eve, various dinner parties, and then on top of that Damien's parents are staying with us for a week and a half during the holiday and they cook the entire time! I am going to have to come up with a game plan by tomorrow or I may find myself unprepared in many tempting situations.

Small changes are the best way to start off versus changing everything at once. Once you've successfully made a few changes, then challenge yourself to something else. For me, I really need to work on completely eliminating dairy. So instead of just cutting it out entirely, I will aim for not having any dairy during the week. I think that's definitely doable.

How are you handling the demands of the holiday season to stay on track? Do you have a game plan or any challenges in mind?

Talking and Walking to my own Advice

Have you started wrapping presents?

Tonight is our first Christmas party- my boyfriend's (Damien) work party is tonight. Everything is always top-secret. We were told where to meet just a few hours ago at 7pm, wear jeans, a warm coat and sneakers. Should be interesting.

Now to the point of today's entry. I enjoy giving advice, telling my friends my honest opinions and what I'd do in their situation. Why is it easier to tell people what to do, but harder to follow our own advice?

Weight-loss is not rocket science- we have to eat healthy, exercise, and get our beauty sleep. There are a lot of other contributing factors like work, stress, relationships, families, etc that all play a role, and somehow we have to find a balance. I feel like a hypocrit when I advise my friends to add more protein to their meals, suggest getting 7-8 hrs of sleep, or to limit alcohol intake. I need to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. I know when this happens, I will see progress, and you will too.

One Day Closer Than Yesterday

They say you should always do one thing daily for yourself. That one thing for me is to write out my thoughts. This blog will serve as my journal, chronicling my weight-loss journey. I look forward to sharing my successes, but also my struggles. I think being honest in writing will help me to understand myself better, and in turn will lead me in the right direction.

I want to lose weight more than anything. And in 3 months I'm going on vacation with my girl friends to Thailand. If that isn't motivation I don't know what is! But as many of you know, each day is a challenge, each MEAL is difficult. I wish I had started healthy habits years ago, but here I am, trying to undo 28 years of bad habits.

I've started to do Jamie Eason's workout plan, and I'm on Day 10. If you're looking for a basic introduction to lifting weights, this program is perfect. On the last day on February 15, 2013, I will post my BEFORE & AFTER pics. This program is just 84 days. That's it. I can do that!

Here's my motivation for today: