Almost one year ago I began my weight loss mission, I was sure that losing weight was going to be the most difficult, horrible thing that I had ever done. One year later I can tell you that I was wrong. Losing weight although not always the easiest most fun thing that I had ever done was not the hard part, keeping the weight off is the hard part.
Throughout the weight loss phase you have something that you are striving for, that magic number or perfect size. You are working towards your goal and that is what keeps you saying no to that piece of cake and hitting the gym every day. The moment you step onto the scale and see your magic number flashing back at you and your skinny pants fit everything changes.
The goal has been met, mission accomplished, you feel great and a weight (literally) has been lifted from you shoulders. Now it is time to go out and celebrate with that pizza you haven't had in 6 months. From that point on what is it that will keep you from over indulging, skipping the gym, going back for seconds? You lost the weight so now you deserve to indulge a little right?
Maintaining weight loss is very challenging. Anyone who has ever lost a deal of weight in their life knows this to be true. Personally this is the third time in my life that I have lost a great deal of weight and I am determined to make it my last. Each and every time once the weight came off I slowly slid back into my old ways of living and eating that put the pounds on initially. This is the reason that diets do not work, it really must be a complete change of lifestyle. Never losing sight of why you should still say not to that extra dessert or walk away from the all you can eat pizza buffet. Slipping back into your old ways will also stuff you back into your old pants.
The past few months this is something that I personally have been struggling with and withe the holiday season approaching I am determined to not lose sight of my goal and all that I have accomplished. While you are surrounded by holiday snacks at the office try to keep in your mind what you have been working for this entire time. Saying no completely is so much easier to maintain than sticking to just one bite. Think about how much better you feel at the end of the day knowing you stuck to your plan and your pants still fit!!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
PB2 Mini Cheesecakes, low fat, low carb and AWESOME!
If you love peanut butter like I do but wish that it was not loaded with so much fat, you should check out PB2. PB2 is a natural, preservative free peanut butter powder made by bell plantation. They reduce the fat content in the peanut butter and dehydrate it leaving a powder. It can be mixed with water to make peanut butter or added to protein shakes, oatmeal. yogurt and any recipe. This is a PB2 mini cheesecake recipe from their website, bellplantation.com that I tried last night.
You will need:
2 8 oz pkg: Fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup: Fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup: Light ricotta cheese
3/4 cup: PB2
1/4 cup: Skim milk
1/4 cup: Splenda brown sugar
1/2 cup: Splenda granular
2 tsp: Vanilla extract
3/4 cup:Egg Beaters
1)Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees with a pan of water in the bottom to steam and moisten the cheesecake.
2)If you want to make mini cheesecakes place cupcake/muffin papers in a cupcake/muffin pan to make removal and eating easier. If you prefer a whole cheesecake, you can skip this step.
* Please note that I am not making a crust for my cheesecakes to reduce to carb/fat count. If you would like to add a crust crush graham crackers, vanilla wafers or cookie of your choice, stir into melted butter and place in the bottom of the papers/pan. Just keep in mind it will raise the fat and carb content.
3)Mix all ingredients together with mixer or food processor until smooth and creamy. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup pour batter into each paper, this makes about 18 minis.
ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL FACTS (per mini when making 18)
Carbs- 8 grams
Fat- 1 gram
Protein-8 grams
You will need:
2 8 oz pkg: Fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup: Fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup: Light ricotta cheese
3/4 cup: PB2
1/4 cup: Skim milk
1/4 cup: Splenda brown sugar
1/2 cup: Splenda granular
2 tsp: Vanilla extract
3/4 cup:Egg Beaters
1)Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees with a pan of water in the bottom to steam and moisten the cheesecake.
2)If you want to make mini cheesecakes place cupcake/muffin papers in a cupcake/muffin pan to make removal and eating easier. If you prefer a whole cheesecake, you can skip this step.
* Please note that I am not making a crust for my cheesecakes to reduce to carb/fat count. If you would like to add a crust crush graham crackers, vanilla wafers or cookie of your choice, stir into melted butter and place in the bottom of the papers/pan. Just keep in mind it will raise the fat and carb content.
3)Mix all ingredients together with mixer or food processor until smooth and creamy. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup pour batter into each paper, this makes about 18 minis.
4)Place pan in over, bake at 300 degrees for 50min, then turn over off and bake 30min. Remove cheesecake from oven, let cool and refrigerate 4-6 hours. You can definitely eat the cheesecake the moment it comes out of the oven but it will be hard to remove from the papers and the consistency will not be quite right yet.
ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL FACTS (per mini when making 18)
Carbs- 8 grams
Fat- 1 gram
Protein-8 grams
Monday, September 3, 2012
Feel the burn . . .out
We have all been there standing outside of the door to the gym, feeling like you should go in but dreading it at the same time, sometimes you go all the way back home and feel guilty about it. Other times you go into the gym only to have a half-a$$ed workout, leave and feel guilty about that too. Neither one of these scenarios is ideal or makes us feel good, what in the heck is going on!?
In general Americans tend to be pretty all or nothing people. This applies not only to "stuff", money, clothing and food but exercise as well. If going to the gym 4-5 times a week is good, why not 7 days a week twice a day?! I will tell you why, because your body needs rest. When you lift weights you are actually in a sense damaging your muscles fibers in order for them to grow but the secret is they grow while they repair themselves AT REST! A good rule of thumb to use while training is to give each body part 24-48 hours to rest before lifting that body part again.
For example if you do back and biceps on Monday then you would not turn around and train them again on Tuesday. You would give them at least that day to rest and then train them again in the second half of the week, Thursday or Friday. Depending on your goals and the system you are using you may not train them again until next Monday and that is just fine too. If you want to make gains physically you must allow your body time to repair itself no matter what type of exercise routine you are using. More often than not people think that doing something twice as much must be better but it is not. Over training is one of the most common causes of injuries not just to regular people but to athletes as well.
Just because you did not get enough sleep last night and you wake up tired does not mean that you can use over training as an excuse to skip today's workout. But if you are consistently sleeping enough, eating enough, drinking enough water and in general taking proper care of yourself but just seem to be dragging for no reason you could be over training. If you normally have no problem going to the gym and for some reason just can't make yourself walk in that door today, you may be over training. If you are having a hard time recovering from your workouts or notice the recovery time seems to be much longer than normal, you may be over training.
Be honest with yourself and pay attention to how you feel mentally and physically. Don't be afraid to take a few days off now and then, not only will it rest and invigorate you, you will be able to go that much harder and lift that much more when your body is refreshed. Do something nice for yourself like get a massage or go for an easy walk outside. Be careful not to let a few days off turn into a week and then two and so on and get into a rut.
The next time you cannot seem to get up and get to it at the gym take a moment to think about why. Is it lack of sleep? Did you not eat enough today or was your last meal hours ago and you need to replenish? If so get something to eat and go at it! If not and you cannot remember the last time you missed a workout or took a true day of rest, go home and do something nice for yourself. The gym will still be there for you tomorrow.
In general Americans tend to be pretty all or nothing people. This applies not only to "stuff", money, clothing and food but exercise as well. If going to the gym 4-5 times a week is good, why not 7 days a week twice a day?! I will tell you why, because your body needs rest. When you lift weights you are actually in a sense damaging your muscles fibers in order for them to grow but the secret is they grow while they repair themselves AT REST! A good rule of thumb to use while training is to give each body part 24-48 hours to rest before lifting that body part again.
For example if you do back and biceps on Monday then you would not turn around and train them again on Tuesday. You would give them at least that day to rest and then train them again in the second half of the week, Thursday or Friday. Depending on your goals and the system you are using you may not train them again until next Monday and that is just fine too. If you want to make gains physically you must allow your body time to repair itself no matter what type of exercise routine you are using. More often than not people think that doing something twice as much must be better but it is not. Over training is one of the most common causes of injuries not just to regular people but to athletes as well.
Just because you did not get enough sleep last night and you wake up tired does not mean that you can use over training as an excuse to skip today's workout. But if you are consistently sleeping enough, eating enough, drinking enough water and in general taking proper care of yourself but just seem to be dragging for no reason you could be over training. If you normally have no problem going to the gym and for some reason just can't make yourself walk in that door today, you may be over training. If you are having a hard time recovering from your workouts or notice the recovery time seems to be much longer than normal, you may be over training.
Be honest with yourself and pay attention to how you feel mentally and physically. Don't be afraid to take a few days off now and then, not only will it rest and invigorate you, you will be able to go that much harder and lift that much more when your body is refreshed. Do something nice for yourself like get a massage or go for an easy walk outside. Be careful not to let a few days off turn into a week and then two and so on and get into a rut.
The next time you cannot seem to get up and get to it at the gym take a moment to think about why. Is it lack of sleep? Did you not eat enough today or was your last meal hours ago and you need to replenish? If so get something to eat and go at it! If not and you cannot remember the last time you missed a workout or took a true day of rest, go home and do something nice for yourself. The gym will still be there for you tomorrow.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Its your fault, not McDonald's
We have all been in a situation where we are offered an extra helping, a dessert, a drink another piece of cheesecake whatever the case may be. It was offered, this does not mean that you have to take it. Playing the innocent victim is life is always the easier route. McDonald's made you gain 50 pounds, each day when you walk by Ronald himself jumps out of the bushes, gun in hand and escorts you into the restaurant where he not only forces you to get a Big Mac but super size as well! Let's not even talk about what happens when you try to order the grilled chicken sandwich instead!
Let's face it, we are each in control of our own lives, destinies and choices. If you are offered and extra serving of dinner or dessert it is your decision and yours alone if you choose to accept. The person offering it is probably just being polite or possibly secretly trying to sabotage you to make them feel better about themselves. The next time you make a bad decision, not just in your diet but life in general take a moment to think about why you made that decision, the consequences, accept responsibility and move on.
Never for one second place the blame on some one else, especially restaurant, fast food establishments and friends when you know you need to be prepared to make good choices. Never leave the house without your next meal or snack in your pocket even if you think you won't need it. Don''t be the victim, take charge and make change for yourself. It was you that made the choices to gain this extra weight you are trying to lose and it is you that can make the choices to make it go away.
Let's face it, we are each in control of our own lives, destinies and choices. If you are offered and extra serving of dinner or dessert it is your decision and yours alone if you choose to accept. The person offering it is probably just being polite or possibly secretly trying to sabotage you to make them feel better about themselves. The next time you make a bad decision, not just in your diet but life in general take a moment to think about why you made that decision, the consequences, accept responsibility and move on.
Never for one second place the blame on some one else, especially restaurant, fast food establishments and friends when you know you need to be prepared to make good choices. Never leave the house without your next meal or snack in your pocket even if you think you won't need it. Don''t be the victim, take charge and make change for yourself. It was you that made the choices to gain this extra weight you are trying to lose and it is you that can make the choices to make it go away.
Monday, August 13, 2012
CHEESECAKE!
Who doesn't love cheesecake? The following is a recipe for a crust less, low fat, low carb cheese cake that a friend of mine, Sharra Coley created. As always you can add things to make it your own. This is just for a basic, plain cheesecake with a hint of lemon.
You will need:
1- Cup of Splenda or sweetener of your choice
1- 8oz package of FAT FREE cream cheese
1- egg (not pictured)
2 -egg whites (not pictured)
1- tsp vanilla extract
Lemon to taste
Preparation for this is very simple and straight forward. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, I recommend softening (not melting) the cream cheese first. Mix until smooth, I used a mixer you could do this by hand but it may be more difficult to achieve a smooth consistency. Pour mixture into pan, I used a greased pie pan, a cheesecake pan is really not necessary unless you are going to double or triple the recipe.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min, remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice cake into 8 triangle pieces for desired nutritional information provided below and ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL INFO:(per slice)
Carbs: 8 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 5 grams
You will need:
1- Cup of Splenda or sweetener of your choice
1- 8oz package of FAT FREE cream cheese
1- egg (not pictured)
2 -egg whites (not pictured)
1- tsp vanilla extract
Lemon to taste
Preparation for this is very simple and straight forward. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, I recommend softening (not melting) the cream cheese first. Mix until smooth, I used a mixer you could do this by hand but it may be more difficult to achieve a smooth consistency. Pour mixture into pan, I used a greased pie pan, a cheesecake pan is really not necessary unless you are going to double or triple the recipe.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min, remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice cake into 8 triangle pieces for desired nutritional information provided below and ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL INFO:(per slice)
Carbs: 8 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 5 grams
Monday, August 6, 2012
Going to the gym does not = working out
Each and every one of us has seen it or been "that guy", the person at the gym who is yakking away on their cell phone, reading a magazine on a machine or strolling leisurely while catching up with the person next to them on the treadmill. If you are guilty of any of the above offenses or countless others that I will not name you need to STEP IT UP! Just because you have arrived at the gym and checked in on face book and foursquare does not mean that you are accomplishing anything just by showing up.
This does not mean that you need to go from one extreme from the other and morph into the person at your gym who moves around at a frantic pace, sweat flying everywhere, huffing, puffing and grunting. Consider your workout a job, a job that you enjoy. You should think about it ahead of time, be serious about it and have a goal for each and every day. At the very least you should know what part of your body you want to work on each day and why. To many people this may seem like a daunting task, so many of us have been showing up and going through the motions, doing the same circuit of machines over and over again for years. This is why you are are not seeing results, going through the motions at the gym does not accomplish anything, save your money and stay home.
You may be thinking that you do not know how to plan a workout or what exercises to do or why. There are millions of cheap to free resources available to help you with this. Websites such as, muscleandstrength.com and bodybuilding.com have entire databases filled with specific workouts for different goals and different needs. For example you can go into the workout section of muscleandstrength.com and choose workouts, women, fat loss and it has a million workouts for you. Write them down in a notebook, print them out or look at them on your phone at the gym and DO IT! Fitness magazine are another great resource for workouts, if you don't want to subscribe to any go the bookstore or newsstand and copy the workouts down on paper. Oxygen magazine is a great women's fitness magazine, Reps magazine, Muscle and fitness are just a few. The fitness section is overloaded in every store in America.
Once you are armed and ready with your new workout plan, do not be afraid. Even the most experienced person in the gym started right where you are. At some point everyone walked into the gym for the first time without a clue. Most of them are so worried about their own routine they are not even paying attention to you. If you are unsure of how to do something google a video or ask a trainer for help. Trainers are more than happy to help you for free if they are not working with a client, that is what they are there for. When you start a new workout it may take a few times through each part until you feel comfortable with the exercises, don't give up. Focus on doing the exercises properly and keep trying.
Another good idea is having a notebook to take to the gym with you so that not only do you have your whole workout written down in front of you, you know how much you lifted each and every time so that you can continuously improve on that and get stronger each and every week. If you are lifting weights and they are not heavy, you are just showing up. If you are doing cardio but can still easily talk on the phone or to your friend, you are just showing up. Be present in every way during your workouts and I promise you that you will start to see results and really enjoy each and every workout.
This does not mean that you need to go from one extreme from the other and morph into the person at your gym who moves around at a frantic pace, sweat flying everywhere, huffing, puffing and grunting. Consider your workout a job, a job that you enjoy. You should think about it ahead of time, be serious about it and have a goal for each and every day. At the very least you should know what part of your body you want to work on each day and why. To many people this may seem like a daunting task, so many of us have been showing up and going through the motions, doing the same circuit of machines over and over again for years. This is why you are are not seeing results, going through the motions at the gym does not accomplish anything, save your money and stay home.
You may be thinking that you do not know how to plan a workout or what exercises to do or why. There are millions of cheap to free resources available to help you with this. Websites such as, muscleandstrength.com and bodybuilding.com have entire databases filled with specific workouts for different goals and different needs. For example you can go into the workout section of muscleandstrength.com and choose workouts, women, fat loss and it has a million workouts for you. Write them down in a notebook, print them out or look at them on your phone at the gym and DO IT! Fitness magazine are another great resource for workouts, if you don't want to subscribe to any go the bookstore or newsstand and copy the workouts down on paper. Oxygen magazine is a great women's fitness magazine, Reps magazine, Muscle and fitness are just a few. The fitness section is overloaded in every store in America.
Once you are armed and ready with your new workout plan, do not be afraid. Even the most experienced person in the gym started right where you are. At some point everyone walked into the gym for the first time without a clue. Most of them are so worried about their own routine they are not even paying attention to you. If you are unsure of how to do something google a video or ask a trainer for help. Trainers are more than happy to help you for free if they are not working with a client, that is what they are there for. When you start a new workout it may take a few times through each part until you feel comfortable with the exercises, don't give up. Focus on doing the exercises properly and keep trying.
Another good idea is having a notebook to take to the gym with you so that not only do you have your whole workout written down in front of you, you know how much you lifted each and every time so that you can continuously improve on that and get stronger each and every week. If you are lifting weights and they are not heavy, you are just showing up. If you are doing cardio but can still easily talk on the phone or to your friend, you are just showing up. Be present in every way during your workouts and I promise you that you will start to see results and really enjoy each and every workout.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Breakfast Quesadillas!!
This breakfast is delicious and only takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. It can be modified to make a regular quesadilla for lunch or dinner as well, just use your imagination.
You will need:
1-Flat bread/Tortilla- I used Joseph's Bakery Lavash
1/4 cup Jimmy Deans Turkey Sausage Crumbles (fully cooked)
1/2 Cup Egg whites-I used liquid egg whites to save time but use regular eggs if you prefer
1/4 cup of Fat Free shredded Cheese
1. The first thing you should do is cook your eggs separately. I cook 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites in a small bowl in the microwave for 1:30. You can also cook them in a pan on the stove, but I do suggest cooking them first or your quesadilla will be a big, runny mess.
2. Place your tortilla on a flat surface or in a pan on the stove (stove off) and fill it before you begin cooking it. This way you are not filling the shell while it browns and melts the cheese and it will be done before you are ready to cook it.
I put the 1/4 cup of fat free, shredded cheese, 1/4 cup of pre cooked turkey sausage and the eggs in the shell. Fold the shell in half and place in the pan and turn the heat on low.
3. Cook each side until it is brown and the cheese is starting to melt. Even on low heat it will cook very quickly, just a few minutes each side. Turn it with a large spatula and be careful not to spill the ingredients out into the pan!
4. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 mins, cut into strips and enjoy!
Nutritional Information:
1 whole quesadilla
Carbs- 17grams
Fat- 6 grams
Protein- 40grams
You will need:
1-Flat bread/Tortilla- I used Joseph's Bakery Lavash
1/4 cup Jimmy Deans Turkey Sausage Crumbles (fully cooked)
1/2 Cup Egg whites-I used liquid egg whites to save time but use regular eggs if you prefer
1/4 cup of Fat Free shredded Cheese
1. The first thing you should do is cook your eggs separately. I cook 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites in a small bowl in the microwave for 1:30. You can also cook them in a pan on the stove, but I do suggest cooking them first or your quesadilla will be a big, runny mess.
2. Place your tortilla on a flat surface or in a pan on the stove (stove off) and fill it before you begin cooking it. This way you are not filling the shell while it browns and melts the cheese and it will be done before you are ready to cook it.
I put the 1/4 cup of fat free, shredded cheese, 1/4 cup of pre cooked turkey sausage and the eggs in the shell. Fold the shell in half and place in the pan and turn the heat on low.
3. Cook each side until it is brown and the cheese is starting to melt. Even on low heat it will cook very quickly, just a few minutes each side. Turn it with a large spatula and be careful not to spill the ingredients out into the pan!
4. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 mins, cut into strips and enjoy!
Nutritional Information:
1 whole quesadilla
Carbs- 17grams
Fat- 6 grams
Protein- 40grams
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