Egg Muffins

Egg Muffins

These are so easy to make! You can make them however you'd like but this is how I made mine.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1Tbsp almond milk
1 cup frozen spinach (slightly thawed)
1/2 cup cauliflower
1-2 tsp sea salt
Fresh basil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425'. Beat 6 eggs in bowl with almond milk. Add salt and basil (as much as you want for taste). In the lightly sprayed muffin pan, place spinach and cauliflower bits (as little or much as desired).  Pour egg mixture over spinach and cauliflower. Fill 3/4 full. Cook in oven for about 20 min. Enjoy!!

Making Goals

Days like today do nothing for my self worth. I skipped my workout, didn't stick to my eating plan, and I wasn't anywhere near patient enough with my children. When does it ever feel good to go to bed knowing that you didn't accomplish much of anything, or that you didn't better yourself? Parenting is a funny thing. You have all these ideas of how you're going to be with your kids, but the truth is that you don't know until it happens. You think you won't ever lose your cool, or that you will always be consistent. You won't ever get frustrated, you won't do this and that. I also always said that I would always take time for myself and be healthy. I thought I'd always dress cute and have my makeup and hair done. That last one has me laughing now. I'm wearing sweats everyday and I'm lucky to get a brush through my hair.

 I'm not saying my life is bad. My life is actually amazing and wonderful. I have two wonderful girls that bring me so much joy. I have a husband whom I love and respect. I have a job that I really, truly love. What I'm not ok with is going to bed at night knowing I could have done so many things better.  I want to end everyday on a positive note. So I've decided if I want that, then I need to work for it.

So what I'm doing now is making a list of things I want to do tomorrow. It's realistic and I know if I write them down and post them where I have to look at them tomorrow, I will do them. I also know if I post them for everyone to see, I will definitely do them. So here are my goals:

1. Read to my children

2. Workout

3. Eat clean

4. Mop the floors

5. Organize the kitchen pantry

6. Organize Elli's toys
7. File my stack of papers

Just seven goals that will make a difference in my life and my children's. My goals are smart. They are specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable and timely. These are so important when making your goals! Make goals that you can actually do. Things that will help you be a better you without stressing you out! If they aren't SMART, then reevaluate them. I don't usually have this many goals, but I have a lot of stuff I've been putting off for too long.
I can't personally help you stay accountable for everything in your life, but I can help you when it comes to being healthier. I LOVE challenge groups because they hold me accountable for my workouts and eating. I encourage everyone to try two different things; 1. Try a challenge group. They have helped so many people (myself included) with their fitness goals. 2.Write down your daily goals. I think when you make long term goals, it's really easy to put things off and say you'll do it later. Make smaller goals that will help you achieve your long term goals.

Daily goals give you a deadline. You don't have time to put things off. My long tem goal is to make daily goals for myself. Sounds kind of silly but it really does help. When you accomplish your goals, you feel better about yourself and when you feel good, you're more likely to be a better mom, a better co-worker, a better person.

Zucchini Pizzas

Zucchini Pizzas

• Two zucchinis
• 1/4 c. shredded cheese
• turkey pepperoni
• black olives to garnish (optional)
• sliced green peppers (optional)
• 1/4 cup Olive oil or coconut oil
• Garlic powder 

There are two ways to make these.
OVEN:

How to make it: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Slice your zucchini in half.  Brush with olive oil and to with garlic/garlic powder. Cover the flat sides in tomato sauce and shredded cheese and then add your toppings.  Put a little bit of coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil in the pan.  Place zucchini on pan and cook in oven for 20min. or until zucchinis are tender.

Stove top:
Cut zucchini in three slices (long ways so you have three long slices).  Put olive oil in large saucepan and heat.  Add in zucchini and simmer on both sides for 2-3min each.  add tomato sauce then shredded cheese to tops of zucchini slices and then add on any other toppings.  You can add seasonings as well.  Cook until cheese is melted (just a few minutes).

Chile Pileups

Chili Pileups!

This is a personal favorite of mine!  It's super easy and quick!

What you need:

• Shredded lettuce
• 1lb ground turkey
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can black beans
• Mrs. Dash (optional)
• 2Tbsp chili powder 
• Sea Salt
• Shredded cheese
• 1 Avacado, slice pieces

How to make it:
Brown your ground turkey and pour out the grease.  In a sauce pan add the ground turkey, kidney beans, black beans and tomato sauce.  Add sea salt, chilli powder and Mrs. Dash to taste.  Pour this mixture over a bed of shredded lettuce and add avocado slices and shredded cheese.  Enjoy!

It's Progress, Not Perfection

At some point or another, I think we all fall victim to comparing ourselves to others. Lately, it seems like that's all I've done. You can see pictures of other women, with perfect bodies all over Facebook and Instagram. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy that they are fit and look great, but I find myself frustrated that I don't look that good. I don't have that super flat tummy, or the nonexistent love handles (or as I like to call it, my trouble zones). I didn't realize how ridiculous I was being until tonight. It just hit me. To date, I have lost 67lbs.  That is insane!!!!! So why am I upset when I've come so incredibly far???

I think it's easier to compare ourselves to others, rather than compare our new selves to our old selves. For instance, when I started working out I couldn't even do one pushup. I can do at least 10 now. I was so excited about it until my mom told me she was up to 30. Suddenly my big accomplishment didn't seem so big anymore.

This thought process has gotten me nowhere. It discourages me instead of lifting me up. What's the point in feeling that way? It doesn't get you any closer to your goals.
Well I'm done comparing myself to others. This is MY journey and no one else's. I am proud of myself for everything I've done. So what if I'm not up to 30 pushups and I don't have a six pack. I have a new goal for myself now. Stop focusing on the can'ts and focus on the cans. Last year I couldn't run a lap around a track. Now I CAN run a few miles. Last year I couldn't do a pushup. Now I CAN. I'm a work in progress, and on a journey to be fit. I will get to where I want to be, but I don't need to compare myself to others in the process. I'm a new person and better than I was yesterday.

This is why I joined beachbody. I want to help others on their own journey. Everyone's journey is different, and you will never get judgment from me on what you're able to do and not able to do yet. We are all a work in progress. If you find yourself needing a transformation, let me help you on your journey. My next challenge group is doing 21 day fix, and we are starting soon so contact me so you can join us! You can click on the shop tab and sign up with the 21 day fix challenge pack or fill out the form in the post below this one. Let's get your journey started!

21 Day Fix

I just spent the last week down in Tennessee visiting my parents with my family. Let me tell you, it is gorgeous down there! It was nice to get out of my usual routine and try new things. My mom is part of my current fitness challenge group and she is so doing 21 day fix. I was curious about what the workouts were like, and I ended up loving them!!! I have other programs I can be doing, but I can't help it....I HAVE to get this program! Let me tell you why:

21 day fix is a program that, as you probably guessed, lasts for 21 days. Of course you can keep going after 21 days :) This program is designed to take the guesswork out of eating. No more counting calories! It comes with several different colored containers, each a different size. This is your portion control! There is a guidebook that tells you what foods can go in what container, and how many containers you can have each day. It's simple, easy and it works!!! On top of that, there are 11 different workout dvds. The workouts are only 30 minutes! Everybody's got time for that! Not only are they just 30 minutes, but they are effective and Autumn, the trainer isn't annoying. We've all done this workouts where the trainer is either too perky, just has an annoying voice, or for whatever reason, you just want to punch them in the face! I love this girl! Not to mention, I love her body! Talk about motivation :)

So now I am looking for a group of women (maybe 5) that will do this program with me. If you're looking to lose 10-15lbs in 21 days then this is for you! I will give you one on one support, recipes and any help you need! I will be your go-to girl! I am pumped and ready for this! I've been putting off getting rid of my love handles for too long.  Fill out the form below to join me!

Fill out my form!

Is oil pulling really worth it?

So recently there has been a big hype over oil pulling. I won't lie, I was very intrigued! I find books, upon books wreaking havoc over how amazing oil pulling is. There are claims of curing cancer, clearing your sinuses and relieving body aches and pains. Sounds amazing right?
So for those of you who don't know what oil pulling is and are now curious, I will explain. Oil pulling is taking an oil (usually sesame, olive or coconut) and swishing it in your mouth for 20 min a day, then spitting it out. It is supposed to aid in oral hygiene and help written your teeth and prevent against cavities. Being someone who is prone to cavities, I couldn't wait to try it. The only issue I had was the whole 20 minute thing.

So I tried it out for a couple of weeks and here is what up found...my teeth were not whiter (huge bummer), my breath was not any better (even bigger bummer for my husband), but I did have less plaque on my teeth. I was still determined to keep trying it until a family member brought something important to my attention.

When you Google oil pulling, you will find a ridiculous amount of articles stating the benefits of oil pulling. What you won't find is a little side effect called lipoid pneumonia. I literally had to Google lipoid pneumonia and oil pulling a couple times before coming across a couple articles that talked about the correlation. If it was actually a real correlation then they would have more articles about it right? WRONG. Although oil pulling has been around for years, it's just now becoming really popular. Doctors are seeing more and more cases of lipoid pneumonia due to oil pulling. Since you are swishing oil in your mouth for 20 min at a time, oil particles actually get into your lungs. And if you didn't already know this, oil and water do not mix making this lipoid pneumonia very difficult to treat.
Here's the other kicker, you can use chlorhexidine (a prescription mouth wash), rinse for only one minute a day with it, and get better results than oil pulling. This prescription will kill more bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities than oil pulling.

So should you oil pull? Well that's up to you. Before you do, just do yourself a favor and look up lipoid pneumonia and oil pulling.

The Real Challenge

Whew!  It's after 10pm and I'm just now getting time to myself.  I love my children more than anything, but they have challenged me to my limit today.  I was up by 6am and it was go go go from there.  By 7am I was certain that the devil had entered my sweet three year old and taken over.   You know, people tell you that threes are worse than twos, but for some reason you just never believe them until they actually turn three.  Just when I thought I was going to lose my mind, my little girl would run up to me, hug me then look up at me with her big blue eyes and say "mommy, I love you."  I'm telling you, it's like the sweet and sour patch kids.

You know, lately I've been using the word challenge a lot.  I've been making Facebook posts about Fitness Challenge groups and helping people overcome the 'challenge' of staying on track with fitness programs and healthy eating.  I always thought of just those two things as the actual 'challenge'.  For me though, the challenge goes way deeper than that.  Without trying to be healthy, I'm already trying to figure out how I take care of the kids, clean the house, play with my children, rock the baby to sleep, figuring out how to handle my difficult 3 year old, finding time shower without my 3 year old crying bc I'm trying to shower, and cook food that everyone will eat! It's exhausting!  When you become a mom, NOTHING is about you anymore. You are living on everyone else's time, and forgetting about your own needs.  So my new challenge is trying to find time for myself, to make sure that I'm taken care of.  If you don't take care of yourself, you aren't your best self.  If you aren't your best self, than how can you be the best mom to your children?

So now when I post about my Fitness Challenge Groups, I'm not just challenging you to do your workout and eat clean. I'm challenging you to take time out for yourself.  My time for myself IS my workout.  Me taking care of myself IS eating clean. Even if you don't feel like working out, you are doing something so good for yourself.  When I'm working out, I'm distressing from the day and taking my frustration out in the workout. It's my therapy.  So are you ready to start taking care of yourself?  Are you ready for a challenge?

Welcome

Hello, I thought I would take my first post to introduce myself. I'm Katie, I'm a mom of two little girls and I have a love for health and fitness. Like a lot of other moms, I gained weight during pregnancy and had a hard time finding a way to get it off. I was lucky enough to have a friend who was a beachbody coach and she set me up with P90X3. I will be forever grateful for getting involved in this program. With 65lbs gone, I'm now feeling amazing and want to share my tips and story on how to get fit and healthy! You deserve to feel good about yourself! When you're a mom, it's so easy to lose yourself. From getting up with babies during the night, to chasing toddlers, feeding your children doing laundry, taking your kids to wherever they need to be...the list goes on and on. Who has time to take care of themselves? By the time you finish everything you need to do, you just want to sit down and do nothing! Well, I'm here to tell you that you can find time. You can start taking care of yourself, and when you do, I guarantee you will find so much happiness! I hope I can inspire other people to start their own journey of living a healthy lifestyle just like mine was. I hope to post healthy recipes, my favorite workout programs, and any tips I find useful. Enjoy!