Week 1 Update- 21 Day Fix Progress and Meal Plan

Week 1 is officially in the bag. Let me just talk for a quick second about how amazing this program it. it is so simple. simple foods. simple workout. simply the best! I started off on Sunday Feb. 16th. I took my before pictures and did my weigh in. and let me just say, I cannot wait to see the results for the next 21 days because I am not happy where I am at! But there is always room to grow and room to improve!

The top things I learned in my first week. 

1. When there is bad food in the house (which there always is) I tend to crave it and want it. but I have to say that I stayed mostly on track
2. when I work (as a nurse) it is tough to stay on track because we have such crazy busy days and no time for eating, so when you do eat, it is quick.
3. when I prep/plan my meals I am so much more successful at staying on track than I am when I don't plan/prep
4. my water intake this week was the best it has been in a while
5. when I printed my meal plan out and had it right in the kitchen on the counter, I ended up reaching for that instead of reaching for the cookies! 
6. 30 minutes of working out is actually enough. This upcoming week, I probably wont be doing P90X3. 
7. The containers surprisingly fit a lot of food. I was nervous I was going to be starving. BOOM just the opposite, I was FULL, FULL, FULL!
8. a week goes by really fast :)

The week started off great, the workouts are really simple yet really effective. I felt that as the week went on, I was more sore but at the same time I was stronger. I felt less bloated. I ate all my meals as planned. As the week went on, I found that there were certain things I loved. On my days off I would make 2 eggs over easy (RED) with 4 pieces of bacon (RED) and a piece of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread. This is by far an away my favorite breakfast choice, aside from my shakeology. I felt like with this breakfast, I was enjoying the food and really wasn't hungry!

For my favorite snack, has to be this one in the picture below. I love me some fresh fruit, greek yogurt, and granola cereal. All this deliciousness in one snack! SIGN ME UP!

I found a new shakeology recipe that was AMAZEBALLS! It killed two birds with one stone. combined my two favorite things. COFFEE & SHAKEOLOGY! This recipe came right from the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan Guide! combine 8oz cooled coffee, 1 scoop of vanilla shakeology, 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, and 8oz of ice. Mix it up and you got Vanilla Mocha Shakeology! YUM. YUM. YUM. 

Take a look at my meal plan. I kept it pretty simple and a lot of repetition. It is easier that way and I eat the things that I enjoy! There is nothing on this meal plan that I can honestly say I don't love. I am a firm believer of moderation and having what you want. But what this program has really taught me a lot about is portion size! I really thought I was doing a good job before this program of eating cleaner and healthy but I guess I might have been overdoing it! You do not realize that you can overeat on healthy foods. 

 FIT TIP:  So if you are doing the fix for the very first time lets chat!  #1 change is hard, #2 its not going to happen over night.  #3 it takes work and sacrifice.  The one thing you can't expect from this plan is to continue to eat the way you were before.  Lets face it, you are here in this place right now because what you were doing ISN'T working! If you want something different then you have to be willing to make a change, to embrace something new and to go with it.  I completely understand that it's hard, that it takes time and that it's exhausting to get rid of old habits and temptations.  But the smell of victory is so sweet. 
Remember that you want to change more than you want to stay the same.  You want to wake up every day and feel happy, healthy, alive and confident.  If you are worried about having to give up all the things you love like pizza, cookies and cake, then yes it will be hard. But it's not impossible.  You just work those things into your plan.  They can still happen it's just on a smaller scale. 
Remember results don't happen over night, but they happen in the moments where it would be easy to quit. Results happen not on day 1 or day 5 but on day 15 and 20 when you really have a good system in place.  It happens when you are consistent every day, when you don't make excuses, skip a workout or have an extra cheat meal.  Results happen when you have will power, you pass the cake, you drink the water, you say no to the added sauces, you ask for your food prepared differently and you tell yourself that no matter what you will finish this challenge.  You will be a success story and no little bump in the road is going to stop you!

Weight loss is just as much a mental game as it is a physical one.  For many of us it's a lifetime of bad decisions.  Of coming from the old traditional ways of cooking, butter, heavy cream, ranch dressing, iceberg lettuce and corn as a veggie!  It doesn't have to be that way and you will be amazed at just how good your body is designed to feel!  You just have to embrace that change and be open to the possibility that healthy food is tasty food too! 

So no matter where you are in life, know that you can make a change if YOU want to!  The key is that your will power has to be stronger than you WANT power!!!!!

Happy week 2 for me! cant wait to see what this week brings! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

For all you Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough lovers out there, this one is for you! I do love me some cookie dough but I don't always allow myself to splurge. But here is a great, healthy, and easy recipe that you could whip up in about 2 minutes. It will make your tummy do a healthy and happy dance!

Ingredients:

•   ¾ cup of plain vanilla greek yogart
•  2 tbs of peanut butter
•  ¼ tsp vanilla
• Handful of chocolate chips

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Healthy Valentine's Day Treats

Frozen Yogurt Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

• 1 container of vanilla greek yogurt
• fresh ripe strawberries

Directions:

• slice strawberries in half
• spoon green yogurt onto a shallow dish
• dip the strawberries  in yogurt
• place dipped strawberries in a plastic container lined with parchment paper 
• place in freezer 

Dark Chocolate Walnut Pomegranate Clusters

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate
• 3/4 cups toasted walnut pieces (cut walnuts up)
• 3/4 cups pomegranate seeds

Directions:

• melt chocolate
• mix walnut pieces and pmegranate seeds in with melted chocolate
• line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper or line mini-muffin tins with paper liners
• scoop a spoonful of the chocolate, walnut & pomegranate mixture onto the waxed paper 
• if you are using lined muffin tins- spoon a little chocolate in the bottom. then sprinkle a few walnuts and pomegranate seeds on top, then drizzle more melted chocolate on t[. sprinkle another layer of the walnuts and pomegranate seeds on top and finish with a drizzle of melted chocolate
• place in refrigerator until firm

Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
• 4 clementines at room temperature, peeled and sectioned 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

Directions:

• line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper
• melt chocolate chips
• dip half to two-thirds of each clementine into melted chocolate
• place dipped fruit on baking sheet
• sprinkle crystallized ginger over the chocolate
• refridgerate until chocolate is set (about 30 mins)

Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 12 caramel squares
• 1 teaspoon water, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions:

• line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (avoid wrinkles)
• melt chocolate
• combine 6 caramel squares and 1/2 teaspoon water in a small bowl and microwave until melted
• stir in melted caramel thoroughly into the melted chocolate
• place mixture into 9-inch square pan
• combine remaining 6 caramel squares with 1/2 teaspoon water and melt
• drizzle the melted caramel over the chocolate and sprinkle with chocolate
• put in the refrigerator until it sets (about 30 mins)

Chocolate-Dipped Pecans

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
• 48 pecan halves
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Direction: 

• line baking sheet with parchment or wax paper
• melt chocolate
• dip half of each pecan into melted chocolate and place on baking sheet
• sprinkle sugar over chocolates
• refrigerate until chocolate is set (about 30 mins)