DIY -- pilling on yoga pants

I don't usually DIY. I figure things are just easier when they are already done, ya know.

I wanted to wear my yoga pants. They're my favorite and they fit just perfect! Also -- Calvin Klein, hello! I live me some CK. The only problem is the fuzzies that have accumulated after all the washing and rubbing. White balls on black fabric is totally Ick!

I jumped into Pinterest and was told to try a pumice stone or a razor. Since i didn't have a pumice stone, i tried the razor.

Amazing!!

See for yourself! The left side is done, the right isn't.

Review: 21 Day Fix, Part III -- Shakeology

I had this as one post but there's three separate parts of the 21 Day Fix I'd like to talk about. This is Part III.

I would like to say one thing about Shakeology. A lot of people will look at the price of the 21 Day Fix and think, "Dang, if I don't get the Shakeology with it I'll save, like, $100!"

Don't be drawn into this thought process! My Shakeology is my workout buddy, my guilty pleasure, and my midnight snack friend. At first we didn't get along at all (I couldn't get past the intense roasted cacao flavor). But after I saw what it was doing for me in my moods and energy, we will never be parted. It's a meal replacement so I can eat it after a workout and be full for another three, four, sometimes five hours. I can eat it in the middle of the night when I'm not working, just vegging in front of the TV because nothing and no one is awake except my brain. And . . . 

I get to eat chocolate every single day. Who in the world gets to say that about their diet programs? Yes, it's in the form of a shake but I could use the powder to make these brownies or these crepes. Seriously. It's an amazing product and you won't be sorry you bought it.

The following video was produced by BeachBody (duh) and it tells, generally, what's in Shakeology. If you want to know exactly what's in it, check out the back of the bags at this website (scroll to the hyperlinks near the end to choose your flavor).

This next video is what really got me. Check out all the things you'd have to eat (and how much they cost!) in order to equal the amazingness of your Shakeology.

It's not just a protein shake. It has protein in it and is consumed like a shake (sometimes) but that's where the similarities end. Many people continue to use their existing protein shakes as a protein supplement while adding Shakeology daily. Protein shakes are not for weight loss. They may aid in weight loss but that is not their purpose. Protein shakes are for adding more protein if you don't want to cook and eat meat (or other good sources of protein like spinach or broccoli) and help build muscle. Too much protein does not do a body good. As you'll hear in the videos, Shakeology is a daily does of dense nutrition. It's a meal replacement that boost energy, lowers cholesterol, aids in digestion, and boost the immune system. It'll improve, you know, your health. 

Remember: in your weight-loss battle your nutrition is going to account for approximately 80% of your success. Abs are made in the kitchen, people!

If you are sorry you bought it and don't see how it's affecting your mood, energy, skin, hair and/or nails, BeachBody has a 30 day money back guarantee. They'll even take your entirely empty bag back. That's how sure they are that you'll love your Shakeology. 

Review: 21 Day Fix, Part II -- My Results

I had this as one post but there's three separate parts of the 21 Day Fix I'd like to talk about. This is Part II.

Round One Results: 

• 11.4 lbs lost
• 10.5 inches lost, all over

I realized about an hour after I posted the pictures on Facebook that I just posted practically naked pictures of myself online and there was no sort of alcohol involved in my decision making.

Yeah.

I did that. 

BeachBody Confidence, I guess. 

Those pictures were never suppose to see the light of day. They were for my eyes and my eyes only; just something for me to reflect on and something to feel accountable for. The point of the bra and underwear was because they're both always in stock at Maidenform (I should know; I worked there forever ago). I can get them same style in a different size when I lose more weight. That's the rational behind the underwear and not a bathing suit or some other workout outfit.

Also, I think sucking in for photos like this is for babies. That's all me in both of them, thanks. My favorite things are the definition you can see in my arms and the missing fat roll on my back. 

Thanks for the boost in confidence, BeachBody! Now all my friends have seen me practically naked. All those horrible rolls, too! That's alright because I calculate most of the back rolls to be gone after three or four more rounds. 

My goal weight is 130 lbs. This is reasonable since my height is 5 feet, 4 inches. 

I haven't felt like I could actually make this weight goal in a long, long while. And now I know I can. 

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Review: 21 Day Fix, Part I -- Likes and Dislikes

I had this as one post but there's three separate parts of the 21 Day Fix I'd like to talk about. This is Part I. 

As you may have noticed, I've been doing BeachBody's 21 Day Fix. I finished my first round. A few days into starting my second round, life got in the way so I felt like all my progress was stalled. But it wasn't. I actually lost three pounds in the last week even though I've not kept up on all my workouts, ate a few things which aren't approved on the Fix, and chugged a bottle of soda.

For those of you who don't know what the 21 Day Fix is, here's a breakdown.

1. Portion Control.
2. Daily 30-Minute Workouts.

That's it, in a nutshell. Simple-stupid, right? Yeah, I thought so, too. I've made a list of what I like, personally, about the program. Since I can't leave it with just my likes, I've also made a list of my dislikes. I'm symmetrical like that. ;)

Likes: 

• I love, love, LOVE the containers. They don’t seem like they would make that big of a difference but they really do. I love being able to say, “I get to eat XX of these every day.” I can see it in my mind’s eye and I’m starting to be able to eyeball portions. I’ll still stick with measuring them out, though!
• The workouts are difficult but not too difficult. They’re easy enough for a beginner to understand yet hard enough to be challenging. And there’s a modification for every exercise. If they're getting easy, don't do the modifier, add more weights, or wear a weighted vest. 
• I get to try a lot of new recipes.
• I still can eat out with my friends (practically everywhere, even icky fast food if I wanted [which I really don't]) and I can still have carbs like pasta, bread, pita, bagels (whole-grain, whole-wheat; which I’m totally fine with and prefer), or tortillas (corn or wheat flour).
• I don't have junk-food cravings. (Seriously. I have a Snickers in my car that's been eyeballing ME, not the other way around!)
• I can still have full-fat cheese like brie or chevre (goat cheese). I LOVE cheese.
• Because I’m cooking for one with the portions of one, most meals are quick and there’s none to minimal leftovers.
• I can eat pizza. And it’s not of the “cauliflower/spinach/zucchini” crust variety, either. Though if that's the sort of thing you like, have at it!
• I’m eating chocolate*. Every. Single. Day.
• I’m trying new things I've wanted to try, like coconut oil, shredded coconut, and coconut milk (wow, that’s a lot of coconut!).
• Every day is a new workout. I only have to do Dirty 30, Pilates, or Total Body Cardio three times in one round. Getting bored isn't likely to happen soon. 
• This is an easy "diet" plan to follow! 
• I'm not hungry. I usually have leftover containers at the end of the day.
• I had pudding for breakfast. (It was actually Chocolate Shakeology and Greek Yogurt, but it looked like pudding!)
• I'm not limited to stupid salads. Which I hate. Because, really, who wants to eat lettuce when you can have bacon?
• I can have turkey bacon. And it's just as good (if not better, in my opinion) than bacon bacon.

Dislike:

• I don’t like yoga day. I couldn't get through the first 5 minutes of the workout. Not because I couldn't do it but because it disinterested me. Also, I've never understood why someone would want to have their first time introduction to yoga through an at-home DVD. The instruction is limited and no one can correct you and tell you if your pose is right or if it needs to be moved just a smidgen. Also, you can't focus on the TV and do downward dog at the same time. It just doesn't work! I will substitute Pilates on yoga day, since that day is about recovery and both are low impact with minimal cardio.
• There’s a “meal plan” that isn't really a meal plan. The book that comes with the challenge pack only really has a general list of foods you can eat and which container they correspond with. In theory, it’s alright. But they don’t really have a “follow something like this” menu. Luckily, there’s Pinterest and a mountain of recipes to be had! After a few days, you figure out what can go where and how many of each container you can eat daily. But when you're first starting out, you're like, "Holy crap! What am I suppose to cook?" It's a bit overwhelming. After the first round, I've figured out what I like/dislike and what I'm willing to eat every day (oatmeal, blueberries, and peanut butter!). 
• Food Prep and grocery shopping are my least favorite things ever. Even before starting the program I hated planning a menu and figuring out what I was going to eat for the week or for two weeks. It's fun to think, "oh, this looks good!" while I'm on Pinterest. It's another thing to plan the meals, figure out what ingredients to buy (since we don't want to waste and are only doing meals for individual servings, this can be difficult), and what things can be frozen. 
• Because I’m cooking for one with the portions of one, I sometimes don’t quite know what I’m doing. 
• I have a hard time using all of my containers from each category. I know it's not about "how much can I eat" and more to do with "all of these containers equal a healthful, balanced, daily diet." I need to figure out how to use my orange container. I'm thinking more snacks will have to do with olives or trail mix from now on. 
• My days off are my hardest days. Working nights makes it worse because my sleeping schedule is all sorts of crazy. I can't quite figure out if I should "restart" my day when I wake up or after 24 hours.

The bottom line is this program works. It's simple-stupid and I wish someone had shown me how to eat this way before I graduated high school. I've never cooked single portions before! I come from a big family, always cooking for six in mind, always planning for leftovers. Not anymore. 

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21 Day Fix Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls

I was on Pinterest (when am I not?) and stumbled across this wonderful recipe about Loaded Mashed Potato Balls with Bacon Bits.

Holy. Yum.

And the picture? It's delicious! Go look. Seriously. I'll wait.

Wiped the drool from your face? Good.

I can't have them how she made them (1/2 a pound of bacon? Cubed cheese might be tasty... All I had was shredded). But I can have them how I've made them! Below is an adaptation I came up with when I got home from work. We had leftover mashed red potatoes, some turkey bacon in the fridge, and, of course, cheddar cheese all on hand. The only eggs we had were all hard boiled so I made do with Greek yogurt as a binder.

The balls were pretty messy when I was making them. I think I could have made them less messy, somehow... I'll just have to experiment some more, won't I? :)

(NOM NOM NOM!!! My picture.)

Cheddar Cheese Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls

Yield: 6 Balls, 2 per serving

• 3 Yellow containers of mashed potatoes (leftovers are perfect; I used red potatoes)
• 1 Red container of turkey bacon ([4 slices] cooked, cooled, and diced into bacon bits)
• 1 Tbsp Greek Yogurt (1/4 Red [optional])
• 1 Blue container of Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• Optional FREE additions: onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, chives or green onions
• Optional: take another blue container of cheese and top each ball after they've heated through with a pinch -- put them under the broiler and crisp it up!

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Take your cooled mashed potatoes and add the Greek yogurt, if needed. (if you’re adding your free ingredients, do so now.) Mix the potatoes so there’s no lumps and they are malleable. Separate into six equal sized balls.
3. Take the first ball in the palm of your hand. Form a hole in the middle, like a birds nest. Take a pinch of cheese and put it in the middle. Smooth over the potatoes so they form a seal over the cheese. Continue this process with the remaining five balls.
4. Once all the balls are formed, roll each one gently through the bacon bits. You should have enough bacon for all six.
5. Place the finished balls on a cookie sheet. I have a SilPat but you could use parchment paper or just a non-stick cookie sheet.
6. Bake until heated through, about 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

These are a great side and could be served with steak or grilled chicken and some sauteed or steamed spinach or asparagus.

Cheers!

LC

I'm Still Alive!! 21 Day Fix Recipe: Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Hey All,

Just wanted to let you all know I'm still alive and kickin'!

It's been 20 days since I posted on here so I thought I'd give you a recap of how my 21 Day Fix is going.

Awesome!

I'm eating pretty much the same things I was eating before the Fix, and then some. Vegetables, fruits, proteins, carbs, healthy fats, oils and seeds... Everything is acceptable! I really wish they'd showed us how to cook this way in high school or even middle school. It's always been hard for me to cook for one (unless it's toast). Coming from a big family always meant cooking with the intention of having leftovers. I don't do that anymore and it's amazing how much food I'm not wasting!

Here's a brief rundown of the things I've eaten over the past 20 days:

• Cauliflower Mac 'n' Cheese
• Turkey Chili
• Pineapple Stuffed Meatballs
• Pizza (I tried both Cauliflower and Pita crusts)
• Taco Salad
• Sweet Pepper Poppers (I didn't have any Jalapenos but I really, really wanted poppers)
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Fridge Pickles
• Cinnamon Oatmeal with Blueberries and Peanut Butter; Turkey Bacon
• Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
• Sushi and Miso Soup (ate out with friends at Blue C Sushi)
• Veggies and Tzatziki Dip (made with Greek Yogurt)
• Chicken and Vegetable Coconut Curry

My favorite so far was the Chicken Tikka Masala (I'm such a sucker for Indian food!). I'm definitely going to make it again and again and again!

(I took the picture; I adapted the below recipe from this website)

Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Yield: 2 servings (each: 1 1/2 Red, 1 Purple, 1/8 Green; optionally served with 1 1/2 Yellow [1 yellow brown rice; 1/2 a whole-wheat pita])

Marinade

• 1 c Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper (I used ground chili pepper because that's what I had on hand)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (over night is preferred).

Sauce

• 2 tsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, minced 
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika (I used smoked paprika because that's what I had on hand)
• 2 small cans of plain tomato sauce (1 can = just under 1 Purple container)
• 2 tablespoon scoops Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oven to 350F. 
2. Line a 9x13 casserole dish with foil; dish the marinaded chicken onto the foil (discard the leftover marinade). Space so the chicken pieces aren't touching. Bake until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. The chicken doesn't need to be flipped.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium sauce pan. Saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno for about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add your dry spices (cumin and paprika). Stir in tomato sauce and Greek Yogurt. Return to heat and bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Add chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes more.
5. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with cilantro. Serve with brown rice and 1/2 a piece of pita. 

Don't be intimidated! It's mostly just spices. It cooks up super easy, I promise. And the smells in your kitchen! My stomach is rumbling while my mouth floods with saliva just thinking about it . . . NOM NOM NOM!

I'm gearing up for my second round of my 21 Day Fix (I'll share my before and after pictures for round 1 in a few days). I'll not tell you how many pounds I've lost but you're sure to be surprised, what with all the yummy foods I've eaten in the past three weeks!

For round 2, I'm hoping to expand my pallet further. I've found amazing recipes on Pinterest, which I'm super excited to share. (Follow me!) I'm hoping to try saag paneer, aloo gobi, eggplant pizza, eggs Benedict with turkey bacon and avocado-hollandaise sauce, pulled pork sandwiches, seafood (I've been sorely lacking in this department for my entire first round), pancakes, and sushi.

I'll be going back and re-posting successful recipes (and pictures, of course!) of my favorite 21 Day Fix dinners.

Cheers!

LC

P.S., I ran a 10K on 5/18. No biggie. ;)

(me with my awesome medal after crossing the finish line)

21 Day Fix -- May 12, 2014

I've started the 21 Day Fix, by BeachBody.

So far, fantastic!

They send you a box in the mail with a few things...

• Portion-Size containers
• Paperwork... Quick Start, Eating Plan, Shakeology Promo, yada, yada...
• Shakeology
• Shakeology Shaker
• Three DVDs

Everyone was saying how much food they get to eat on this plan and they're all "I'm always full and I have left overs at the end of the day!" After looking at the containers, I almost wanted to call BS.

But they really do hold a lot of food. 

Seriously.

I made up some steel-cut oats for my breakfast for the week. I thought I'd have so much left over I'd have to freeze it or something silly like that. Not as such. I got about 7 containers filled with my oatmeal. Perfect for one week! 

When you portion out your fruit, I've found that strawberries (diced up) and grapes (whole) fill up one single Snack Ziplock container. 

I also found that I'm allowed a lot of Greek yogurt. Like, super a lot. I thought I was only going to have enough for my oatmeal. Nope! I have enough for my oatmeal, my two snack-packs of fruit, and some as a dressing for my salad. 

Snap!

Needless to say, I nearly under-bought on my groceries this week. I may have to stop by the store sometime this week to stock back up. 

Another thing I've learned -- Vinegar Baths.

HOLY CRAP. They work so well! I did a batch of salad and stuck it in Mason Jars (1.5 pints, perfect size! My new favorite thing ever!). Those lasted for a week without going bad. Further along the week, though, you're going to want to use more dressing, if you know what I mean. But they weren't wilted or slimey. The same went for the other veggies I had with them -- tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, carrots... They were all nice and crisp by the end of the week.

Amazing!

So... My day so far...

• Wake&Shake (Shakeology)
• Workout (Cardio Fix!)
• Made Dinner -- Cauliflower Mac&Cheese
• Showered, Dressed, Grabbed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
• Work!
• Breakfast: steel-cut oatmeal, frozen fruit medley, and Greek yogurt
• Snack: grapes and Greek yogurt
• Lunch: roasted vegetables
• Snack: strawberries with Greek yogurt
• Dinner: cauliflower mac&cheese with salad and Greek yogurt
• Home -- walk a bit before going to bed.

I'm so excited for this, it's ridiculous! 

I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing and I'll also share some recipes, maybe. Tomorrow is chili! Nom nom nom . . .

Cheers!
LC

P.S. Only 32 Days until my half marathon.