Day 5

Busy,Busy,Busy Is NO excuse for health.

This morning was a very rushed morning. What can I say, I am a mom! I do not like getting off my schedule of  Mon., Wed. Frid. hitting the box at 7:30am. So this morning I woke up late, at 6am, and had to get the coffee going and wake the kids up immediately with no quiet time. I did read a quick bible verse, but it just isn't the same. Right after I did that my son started screaming and crying to come help him. Confused, I told him to hurry up and get out of bed. He yelled back,"I can't get up". So my son woke up with such a huge crick in his neck that I had to help him out of bed and get him dressed. Not enough time for all of this. So by 6:55, after feeding the kids, getting my coffee, I had to figure out what to eat and fast. I am not the kind of person who can workout with out food first.

This is what I made, Muffin in a cup.

Ingredients

1/2 cup quick rolled oats, or organic oatmeal/flax packet

1 egg

2 Tbsp Coconut Milk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp stevia or could use maple syrup

1 drop vanilla

1 scoops Protein Powder (Vanilla)

1 tsp coconut oil

Mix it up in a coffee cup and Microwave for 1 min. or 1:30 min.  It will and should rise and get very puffy.

Pop it out and let it cool for a minute. Throw it on a napkin and run out the door.

Options

You can add 1/2 mashed banana

1 tsp crushed Walnuts

1 tsp raisins

Lunch Meal 3. Mixed it up a bit, literally! Mixed green, 4 oz chicken, tossed in 4 Tbsp Tzidziki greek yogurt sauce.

Meal 4 and 5 - 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, 4 coffee ice cubes, 1 Tbsp dried PB2 Powder(peanut butter powder 85% Fat free), 1 Scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 banana.

Busy, Busy,Busy, yes

I combined meal 4&5 bc/ I got busy sewing for my daughter and needed to combine it to maintain my calorie and fat count for the day. Time got away from me for sure.

Meal 6 Dinner-

Check out the recipe right here under main dish. http://3olivebranches.blogspot.com/2012/02/cauliflower-pizza-crust.html

Day 3 and 4, Done!

Day 3 and 4 Done and feeling good.

It is so important that when I do these weight loss challenges, that I am still able to cook and eat with my family. I like that I still can be creative and not deprive myself. Each day I have something to look forward to. Makes me feel like I am not an outsider on a diet. I love cooking! Plus me being in constant prayer over all the tempting hunger thoughts is helping a ton. So far I have lost 5 pounds. Much needed.

Okay these are the two recipe's that I have made for dinner on my "healthy" challenge to learn to portion and discipline myself.

The first one is Greek Meatballs. Amazing! Must try this one! Go to http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/08/greek-turkey-meatballs.html

Tadzhik ingredients ( plus lemon juice & salt)

The next recipe I made for a healthy dinner with the family is Thai Coconut Curry Chicken and Shrimp. Again, I can not take credit for this recipe.  We did tweak some things that we could not find in the grocery store, or we add fresh peppers or use shrimp or squid, but for the most part, this recipe works any way you make it. Light Coconut milk, ginger,garlic, cilantro and red curry paste is key though. This one came from my cook book "Healthy Recipes" by Parragon Publishing



If you can't read this, email me and I can send you a copy, lainemm123@gmail.com





Day 2

Day 2

Paleo mayo ruined my wonderful day. I tried 3 separate times for an hour to get it to emulsify, but all in

vain. I thought, "hey this looks so easy, why aren't more people making this stuff, it's so much better for you?" Now... I know why.

If you know me you know that I love to cook and take great pride in it. Well, since evil is no longer grasping my one weakness, it has decided to move into destruction mode. I was not expecting to lose my cool over mayonnaise, but hey, I am human, fleshly, and hungry. So after a long day sticking to the plan, I almost gave in and ate the whole bowl of fruit salad. I really wanted to out of frustration I guess. Plus, my husband was flying tonight so, left all alone to my own thoughts was not good either.

 

What I have learned from this is that you must not give up or give in. Phone a friend, journal your frustration, and pray. I am trying to be more in tune to when I over indulge in food. So far it is when I am angry, depressed, or being unproductive and  board. Hm, all of those things are sin nature disguised as feelings. Light bulb anyone? I need to learn to be more in tune with what God is trying to show me without using sin , aka food, but instead using his word to feed me at that desperate time. In Minivan Mayhem bible study today we talked about being reactive or proactive. I need to prepare ahead for the time when I know I will go for food. I need an action plan for what I will do next time.

Today for the most part, food wise, went great. I didn't time my grocery shopping trip, and it went over too long, so I was very hungry when I got home and I accidentally skipped meal 5. Probably why my brain couldn't make that Mayo. I stuck to the meals I had prepared and for dinner I made Clean Lean Burgers with a grilled Portobello mushroom, a slice of tomato, broccoli slaw, and fruit salad with Greek yogurt and cinnamon. It was so good!

Applesauce Meatloaf

Applesauce Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 cup Ezekiel bread crumbs (processed)

1 lb. Ground Beef or Turkey

1 egg

1 Apple

1/2 large onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parley

1 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp Sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Glaze

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp local honey

(Mix together)

This recipe was inspired by a good friend, Robin Baise.

 First Dice up 1 apple. In a processor emulsify 1/2 onion, garlic, and apple. In a separate pan heat the apple mixture until it softens and you can mash it. Next process up 2 slices of Ezekiel bread into crumbs. Mix all ingredients in a bowl now. Patty out 8  balls and form into a greased cupcake tin. Bake on 400 for 20 minutes. Take out and brush 1/2 the glaze on top. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 5 minutes. Take out and brush the rest of the glaze on top.

 Peel and cut about 5 large carrots into sticks 1 inch thick. Toss in about 2 Tbsp. Olive oil and Bake on 400 for 20 minutes.

 Glaze

Cook Quinoa as directed with your favorite seasonings.

Day 1

When your stretchy pants become too tight, your spiritual life may be too loose!!!

Don't let the title confuse or insult you. Not all overweight people struggle with thier spiritual walk. However, I have found that my spiritual walk with God is directly associated to how much I weigh.


Okay so this is it, day one. I am looking forward to the results but I know it is going to take hard work getting back to where I was.  Day 1 is always a good day. I'm on fire at the gym and feel great about what I am going to accomplish. What I do know is that it gets hard. If this is the best day, what will I do when I get to the day when I want to throw in the towel? Daunting, I know. I have done a "Meal Plan" before, and I know how mental it can get. I have a FEAR of failure. I have failed at this again and again. FEAR False Evidence Appearing Real. -Joyce Meyers.

It's not about the food for me. I love healthy food, and obviously eat way too much of it! For me it is about overcoming this lie satin has fed me through my love of food. "You are such a good cook, you will never be fit and trim with all you eat", " You worked out hard, you deserve it". Well this time I am going to overcome this battle because he overcame the grave. Singing a song Sunday at church I realized what God was telling me. "Break every chain", the song goes, and he has, and he will. Some struggle with other sin natures, but this is the one that I must go through to draw closer to God. For you maybe it's watching too much TV, not spending enough time with family, spending too much money, or some other thing that has become your IDOL. If there is anything you love more than God, it has become an idol. Let it go and give it to God and he will help you overcome.

I have realized that I enjoy cooking and eating my cooking more than I do spending time in the Word. I need discipline to get up and get my bible or study book out before I do anything else. God will take care of the rest if I am walking in the spirit living out his Words. Don't let guilt of the past take over and discourage you, it is never too late to give your life and body over to God. It's his anyway and you are only paying to lease it.


 Be prepared that when you step out of your comfort zone, the enemy will throw crazy challenges at you. People will question you and your reasoning behind it.  You are going to need faith in God that he will see it through. It's not about the end results, it's about how you got there. If your goals are shallow then the results will be shallow ( Made to Crave). I have prepared and have a great support system of strong spirit lead women. My friend will be doing this with me, thank God, power in numbers. We are sharing tips, working out together, texting, keeping each other accountable, and praying together.

So my goal, body wise, is 145lb. and 20% body fat.
Plan to WOD 3 days a week and cardio 2 days a week, plus family walks at night.
6 small meals a day, and 1 gallon or more of water.

Prayers welcome as I go day by day, hour by hour along this journey.

5:30am Alarm

5:40 get out of bed

5:45 Make coffee

6:00 Time reading my bible study

6:30 Breakfast Meal1 and getting ready to go

7:30 WOD

10:00 snack Meal2

12:30 Lunch Meal3
1:00 Chores and stuff
2:00 snack Meal4
4:00 snack Meal5
5:00 Make dinner for family
6:00 Dinner Meal6

Meal 1 (I added a tiny bit of creamer and stevia) 2 eggs, 1/4 cup oat bran with water and 1 scoop of protein powder mixed in. 1 Tbsp Flax and cinnamon.

 Meal 2 1 Cup Kale, 4 oz grilled chicken.                                      

 Meal 3 1 cup coconut milk 4 oz water and 1 scoop protein powder

Meal 4 1 cup broccoli 4 oz chicken (I have had 70 oz. water so far today.)               

Meal 5 1 can low sodium tuna, 2 handfulls of spinach. 2 Tbsp of  lemmon juice dijon mustard fresh garlic apple cider vinegar dressing.

 Meal 6 4 oz applesauce meat loaf muffins, 1/2 cup Quinoa, 1 cup roasted carrots.

I did it, I made it through day one!!

Prep for "Discipline Challenge"

Day One - prep

This time around I am very sure I am going to be up for this challenge. Please keep me accountable.I really have been going in circles with weight loss for a few months now. How on earth did I get so far gone so fast. I know exactly what to eat and how much, but just didn't care how much lately and it turned into way too much. Amazing how the human body works.This time last year I was in a Bikini walking out on a stage at Trifit, Happy as can be,

Last May 2011

 and now here I sit 15 pounds gained later. You can go from healthy and trim to fat and fluff in just one meal.

159lb. April 29th.2012

 I have been feeling horrible lately and my workouts have been getting harder and harder to do. I am challenging myself , along with support from some strong spiritual people, to gain discipline this time around. For sure my body does not define me. I am a strong spirit led mother of 3, and wife to an amazing hard working army pilot. God is going to get me through this challenge just like he got me to my goal last year. Prayers welcome as I open myself up and share this journey over the next few weeks.

First things first get your plan together and prep your food. Takes about an hour. I will be measuring all my protein out, which is sooooo not like me. So, 4 oz protein and 2 cups green vegetable this week at every meal. Dinner is an exception. I will be making "Clean" dinners and joining my family. My kids need to see mommy as part of the family and not as a "Dieter". So I pre- grill all my chicken using Mrs. Dash Marinades.

I roasted about a "ton" of broccoli with cooking spray and Mrs. Dash extra spicy blend. and garlic powder.

Boiling eggs is for breakfast. Once the water boils, cover with a lid and remove from heat for 13 minutes. Perfect boiled eggs.

Make sure the Tuna is Low sodium. This will be for my lunch meal and I will serve it over 2 cups fresh spinach and some vinegar.

I use the Kale, celery , and onion to make as one of my veggies. Celery and Kale are really loaded in vitamins and health benefits. The onion is a carb. however it makes it tasty. I used 2 TBSP of Olive oil for sauteing a whole large head of kale and 3 celery stalks. Last I added a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar to give it a kick.

So Tips and tricks I have learned , you need some containers. Nothing fancy, just get some containers. Pre-measure your chicken and veggies and store it in these containers. If you fail to plan you plan to fail. You can get a cheap scale for $5 at Walmart.

I also use a menu board at home to post the recipes we will be having for dinner. All of them will be healthy and clean and I will be posting them showing exactly the serving size from that meal I ate.

So here you have it. 3 days of meals.

1. 2 eggs and 1/4 cup oat bran with water and cinnamon
2. Protein mixed with 8 oz Coconut Milk and water
3. 4 oz chicken and 2 cups green vegetables
4. 1 can Tuna with 2 cups raw spinach and light homemade vinaigrette
5. 4 oz chicken and 2 cps green vegetables
6. Clean healthy family dinner with portion control
 Song to motivate your prep work

Strawberry Pie (gelatin free)

Here's sweet news: one serving (147 grams) of strawberries has 86.5 milligrams of vitamin C. (And just this week, a study linked two servings of the red fruit a week to slowed cognitive degeneration.)- http://www.huffingtonpost.com by Laura Schocker

Strawberry Pie

Love that kids get to see where thier food comes from.

Ingredients

Crust

1 Cup Sprouted Grain flour or Brown rice flour

1/4 Cup Quinoa Flour or Whole Wheat

1/2 Cup "Real"Butter

1tsp Salt

1/2 Cup ice water

Filling

6 Cups whole strawberries ( divided in half)

3 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

1/2 Cup water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 Cup Sucanat Sugar

Topping

1 Cup rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Sucanat

1/4 Cup "Real" butter

1 Tsp cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

Mix in all flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in cold butter with a fork until the crust starts to form little crumbles. Slowly add 1 Tbsp at a time of ice water until you can form the dough into a smooth ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready flour your surface to roll out the dough. Sprouted Grain flour works well bc/ it is grainy. Form the dough to a pie pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the pie crust is baking, start the filling. In a pot heat up 3 cups strawberries, arrowroot, cornstarch, sucanat, lemon juice and water over med. high heat. Mash it up as it heats until it forms a thick liquid. Boil for 3 minutes stirring continuously and remove to cool.

Cole getting busy in the kitchen.

"Mom, I love your pie!"

When the crust is done baking, Coat the bottom of it with 1/4 strawberry filling. Then layer whole strawberries (3 cups) or less,in the bottom of the pie crust in one even layer. Pour the remaining filling over the strawberries.

Last make the crumble topping. Mash the butter,oats,salt,cinnamon,and sucanat. Crumble it over the top of the pie.

Bake for 1 hour on 350degrees. Let it cool on the counter when done for 30 minutes and then place in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Best results when you refrigerate it overnight.