Under 1,600 Calories!

I saw these recipes and just had to share!  Hope you enjoy them!  I'll be testing them next week.  Let me know if you try any of them.

Breakfast: Eggs 'n' Greens

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups spinach
1 egg
1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

Add half the olive oil to a heated skillet, saute mushrooms and spinach, and remove to a plate. Add remaining olive oil to the skillet. Crack egg into the pan and cooksunny-side up. Add egg to vegetables. Drizzle with Sriracha sauce.

Total: 230 calories

Lunch: Tuna-Avocado Sandwich

1/3 avocado, mashed
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 oz white albacore tuna, drained
1 thick slice tomato
1 piece butter lettuce
1 slice red onion
1 slice whole-grain bread

Combine avocado with lemon juice and fold in tuna. Stack tomato, lettuce, onion, and avocado and tuna mixture on bread for an open-face sandwich.

Total: 350 calories

SNACK
Mix 1 Tbsp unsweetened dried cherries; 3 strips unsweetened mango slices, chopped; 1 Tbsp almonds; 1 Tbsp pistachios; and 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds.

Total: 280 calories

Dinner: Cookout for One

1 organic beef hot dog
1/2 cup organic baked beans
1 whole-wheat hot dog bun
1/2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/2 Tbsp sweet relish
1 cup sliced honeydew melon

Cook hot dog, and heat baked beans in a saucepan. Serve hot dog in the bun, topped with mustard and relish, with beans and melon on the side.

Total: 490 calories

SNACK
1 cup frozen green grapes and 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Total: 190 calories

Indulge Without Bulge
To stay below 1,600:
Add: Julie's Organic Sorbet Bar, Mandarin Orange (60 calories)
Subtract: Sunflower seeds from first snack (60 calories)

Guess what? I eat Carbs!

How did you do with week 1?  Were you able to eliminate the junk from your diet?   Feeling more energy yet?  I hope so!  If you were able to do that, then I bet you're already noticing a difference.  I'm proud of you and even more excited for you do dive into this week. Let's break it down for Week 2!

Week 2 Rules!
Each week's rules are cumulative, so the "no junk" rule from Week 1 will be applied until the end, as will each subsequent week's rule.  Remember that this is a process.  Treat it as though you're in school and the subject is your own body.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Eat small & Eat often! Eat every couple of hours while you're awake and try not to eat anything for about three hours before you go to sleep.  Following these rules will keep your blood sugar levels more static and your energy level will stay consistent.  Try to keep each snack or meal balanced.  Something like a 30% protein, 40% carbs & 30% fat ratio is good, though you don't need to worry too much about it.  Just realize that you need a bit from each group.  Eat based on what you'll be doing for the next few hours (if you're working out, eat a little more; sitting at a desk, eat a little less, you get the idea!)  The three-hours-before-bed rule is most  IMPORTANT!  Especially for fats & carbs.  By allowing time for all the carbs you eat to get into your bloodstream, your body will sleep in fat-burning mode, rather than in calorie-storing mode.  Fat-burning mode = Good!  Calorie-storing mode = Bad!  This is important because undigested carbs in your stomach at night are stored as adipose tissue (fat). Don't ruin your days good eating habits by pigging out at night!

Here's a good example for your daily meals:
Breakfast 7:30am - Shakeology (protein)
Snack 10:00am - Banana (fruit/carb)
Lunch 12:30pm - Kale & Spinach Salad w/Chicken & lemon vinaigrette dressing.  Carrots & hummus.  (veggie/carb, protein & fats)
Snack 3:30pm - Orange (fruit/carb)
Dinner 6:30pm - Grilled Salmon & Steamed broccoli (protein & veggie)
Snack 7:30pm (optional) - Handful of almonds (12 is a serving!)

Cheat Days!  You still get 2 cheat days because I'm so nice!

Weekly Focus!  Carbs are not the enemy!  Your body needs them, just like it needs proteins and fats. The trick is to choose the right carbs.  As a society, we eat too much refined sugar.  Complex carbs, like whole-grain breads, whole-grain rice, sweet potatoes, and legumes are outstanding foods.  Even fruits, which have simple carbohydrates wrapped in fiber, are exceptionally healthy.  While you don't want a diet based on nothing but carbs, making the right carb choices will maximize your body's potential.  Try to avoid white rice and flours.  Read labels carefully and try to avoid ones that use the word "enriched," because this means these products have been stripped of their natural nutrients, over-processed and then fortified with a new random nutrient that no one can pronounce!

There is no doubt in my mind that you'll conquer Week 2!  Keep your eye on the prize!  You're just 6 weeks away from being a healthier & happier person.  Imagine the impact you can make if you share this post with someone.  You'll get healthy, they'll get healthy and share this post, and soon everyone around you will be healthier.  Wow, you're awesome because you took the first steps and others followed your lead. Catch you next week when we talk about bringing some color into your life!

Your Friend in Fitness,
Brittany

There's no Secret to Healthy Eating

No one diet will work for everyone.  Some people have intolerance, or allergies to certain "healthy" foods.  For instance, my body doesn't process diary.  So even though Greek yogurt is considered "healthy", I can't eat it.  All eating plans should have one similar goal in mind, to eat more natural, whole foods & less "junk".  That's because there really is no secret to healthy eating.    99% of your goal should be to eat real, natural, whole foods and minimize junk.  It's that simple! So with this in mind, why do so many people struggle with getting their eating in order?

I think for most people, (my past self included), we think the word DIET and automatically think all we can eat are salads.  While salads are a healthier option (at least some are!), they aren't your only option.  I actually hate the word Diet.  If you ask my husband anytime someone asks "What diet are you on?" My reply is always "It's actually a lifestyle change, not a diet!" I've even trained him to respond that way now!  OK, so let's call this the Transitional Lifestyle Change...or call it whatever you want!  

Let's focus on the basics first.  Outside of a small list of what you can't eat, you're free to chow down on anything.  How hard can that be?!  Let's get started.  

(I'm going to be mean for a second!) - NO JUNK!  Eliminate junk food from your diet.  That's it, just junk. Other than this, you can eat whatever you like.  The definition of junk is obvious stuff, like potato chips, candy, ice cream, cake, etc.  You may be stricter if you'd like, but don't be too hard on yourself.  Just stay away from, McDonalds, Wendy's, Sheetz, (insert your favorite fast food joint here)!  For many of you, this alone will reap huge benefits.  

    

Cheat Days!  Since no one's perfect, you get two days to cheat.  That's right, I'm giving you 2 whole days where you can eat anything you want! Told I was only going to be mean for a second!  The trick on cheats is to listen to your body. At first, it'll probably tell you it wants whatever you've been denying it.  However, overtime, it'll start to crave nutrients you're deficient in.  Learn to read and listen to your body's subtle signs. If you're craving ice cream, you may be short on essential fatty acids.  If you crave a hamburger, your diet may lack protein.  By listening to your body and learning what it really needs in this way, you can make better food substitutions.  It's a way of getting in tune with yourself and will benefit you for your entire lifetime.

Weekly Focus!  WATER.  Not swimming in it, though that's good too especially on hot days, but staying hydrated with it.  "They" say you should drink at least half your body weight in water per day.  But I'm saying you should just drink more then you normally do daily.  Shoot for a gallon (though don't worry if you fall short).  Yeah, that probably seems crazy but almost all of us walk around dehydrated for most of our lives, which not only hurts the way we function but also makes us hungry when we're actually thirsty.  A glass of water when you feel hunger pangs both staves them off and helps you fill up faster when you do eat.  As for other drinks, juices and sugary sodas also (obviously) fall into the Junk category.  And alcohol should be kept to a minimum.  For every alcoholic drink you have, have a glass of water!  We tend to forget (purposely or not) that alcohol has calories.  Actually a lot of them!  7 calories per gram to be exact.  Mixers can be even worse - not only can they add unwanted calories, but these sugary calories influence the way alcohol reacts with your body.  Instead of having a sugary mixed drink try having vodka & tonic with a lime!  It's my favorite drink lately.  

Does this all sound doable?  Comment below if you plan on giving this a try or better yet, share this with a friend that you want to do this with.  Accountability is key to success!  I'll be your Accountability Partner if you need one!  Check my blog next week for Week 2 of this Transitional Diet, Lifestyle Changing, healthy eating plan!

Your Friend in Fitness,
Brittany

4lbs in 3 days!

This past Monday - Wednesday I did the latest Program from Beachbody called 3-Day Refresh.   I'll admit, I was a little nervous and skeptical about this program.  Here's the deal, I love food.  So when I think of a cleanse, I immediately think that I won't be "allowed" to eat and I'll be bound to the toilet...  That is so not the case with the 3 Day Refresh.  I finished up day 3 yesterday...and I liked it! Actually, I really liked it. Well not the first day because I don't like being told what to eat, but who does? 

End of day 1 I wasn't hungry, the veggies and very filling Vanilla fresh were easy to prepare and made me feel amazing! Fiber sweep wasn't my favorite, but wasn't horrible either. So here's what I ate
Day 1.  
8oz of filter water to start my day!
Breakfast was my Strawberry Shakeology & an unsweetened apple sauce w/cinnamon (technically apple sauce isn't listed as a recommended food - but I didn't have any fruit so I improvised.)
Mid morning I had my Green Tea - which I drink daily anyway and I recommend you do too!
1 Hour after my Tea  had the Fiber Sweep (digestive health drink) mixed with water.  This was my least favorite but I got it down!
Lunch consisted of  strawberries (I went grocery shopping!), carrots & hummus, and my Vanilla Fresh.  I'm hoping Beachbody starts offering this stuff like they do Shakeology!  It was delish!
Afternoon Snack was Celery & Almond Butter.  And a cup of green tea!
Dinner was my Vanilla Fresh again and some steamed Lemony Green Beans & more green Tea.
Oh yea and I drank 102oz of water throughout the day!  

Day 2 I had a minor headache but felt lighter and still not starving.
Started the day with my filtered water and Breakfast was my Strawberry Shakeology and a orange.  A little later I had my Green Tea.
Mid Morning I had my Fiber Sweep, it wasn't as bad this day.  Maybe I was just getting used to the taste?
Lunch was Vanilla Fresh, Strawberries, Carrots & hummus.
Afternoon snack was Celery & Almond Butter.  (have I mentioned I like consistency?!)
Dinner was the Vanilla Fresh, Kale & soy nuts.  I could have had some green tea, but I was so busy I didn't to get to drink my other 2 cups for the day. And of course my 102oz of water!

  


 Day 3 I was in the groove and feeling great. I continued doing my #PiYo workouts! And had energy to get through my day.  Morning was the same, Water, Shakeology & Orange.  Green tea mid morning.
Mid Morning I had my fiber sweep, and it actually went down smooth!
Lunch was my Vanilla Fresh, strawberries, carrots & hummus.  Afternoon snack was Celery & Almond Butter.
Drink consisted of Vanilla Fresh, a Huge Spinach Salad with Cucumbers, Soy nuts & Red Peppers with a light lemon dressing.  Drank my 102oz water and missed my 2 cups of green tea.  

The results are in! I'm down 4lb and feel great...really great!  This is just the program I needed  to help get me over a plateau.  I had no hungry pains, I wasn't bound to the bathroom and I got great results.  My tips, should you decide to embark on this journey  1. Don't skip on the fruit and veggie snacks.  This really helps to fuel your body.  2. Enjoy the process because it goes by fast.  3. Drink tons of water.  It helps to aid in all functions of your body. It also helps to keep you feeling full.  

                   

                                                               

So I totally am a Hot mess in these pictures.  I had just worked out...so now you know what I look like after my workouts kick my butt!  

 I will do this again to give my body a break from daily life. It's prefect if you tend to over-indulge on weekends, or if you need to break through a plateau, like I did. If you're on the fence about it, let me know. I'll tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly! Refresh is only $10 this month with the purchase of Shakeology! 


Your Friend in Fitness,
Brittany

When's the Best time to Exercise?

I get asked this question a lot so I wanted to take some time and address it. The time of day you work out gets a lot of attention, but is it really that important? Let's dig deeper and take a look at the reality of how much the time of day you work out can affect your results. I'll also share with you the four best times of the day that you should work out

1. When you WILL work out

While this may seem obvious, you should not lose sight of the fact that exercise is almost always preferable to no exercise. While technical "nitpicking" can help make your fitness journey easier, it can also work against you if you get too wrapped up in it. Exercise and healthy eating will always trump all other advice. I've seen every excuse in the book, including "I missed my optimal window for training so I skipped today's workout." Don't let this happen. Unless you're injured, sick, or overtrained, exercising is better than not exercising. Schedule your workout when you have the best chance of getting it done

2. When you FEEL the best

There are times during the day when you will have a slight physiological advantage if you work out during them, but none of those trump the psychological edge you have if you feel like exercising. As simple as this sounds, effort equals results more than any other one factor. This means that if you're a night owl, work out at night. Morning person? Work out first thing in the morning…you get my drift. Anytime you're in the mood to really Bring It will work because, by far, the biggest physiological changes happen to your body when you push yourself further than you've pushed yourself before. There's a reason the P90X® mantra is "Bring It." The closer you get to putting in 100% effort, the more you force your body into an adaptive state, which is exactly where it needs to be in order to change.

3. MORNING w/an empty stomach

In the morning, before you've eaten, your body is forced to utilize its fat stores for energy, and you can train your body to be efficient at doing so, which is cool. You're also "burning fat," which sounds even cooler. Do easier workouts in the morning, when your glycogen stores are still full so you can power through those workouts.  Try eating a banana before your morning workout.  That will help stabilize your glucose levels so you don’t burn out.  This works best for me!  I drink my Shakeology right after working out to fuel my body.

4. At night before bed

This time of day is last for a reason. Unless it is really the only time you will work out or the only time you feel the best, you should probably avoid it.

Working out directly before bed can affect your sleep. Most people have a hard time getting to sleep after a workout because exercise can throw off your melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, among other things. This isn't ideal because sleep is very important for recovery. It's when your body naturally produces most of its own performance-enhancing drugs in the form of hormones. Anything that hurts your ability to sleep should be eliminated if possible.

The bottom line is that everyone's body responds differently. We all need to exercise and most of us can eat better. In between are a lot of individual variables. When it comes to getting your best possible workout, psychology often trumps physiology. Exercise when you can and pay close attention to your performance. Then choose your preferred workout time based on your results. It's really that simple.

Week 1 PiYo Review

This past week I started Chalene Johnson's newest workout called PiYo. Equipment needed - only a Yoga mat, minimal space, and a chair if you need to modify some moves.  That's it!!  One thing I learned from week 1 was that I am not flexible.  I'm the type of person that usually didn't do the stretch part at the end of workouts.  Or if I was going for a run, I didn't properly warm up.  As a result, I've injured my left knee and found that doing a lot of cardio & jumping around irritates it.  So, I thought this program would still get me in shape, but wouldn't aggravate my injury.  PiYo is a low-impact, high-intensity body-transformation program that uses the most effective Pilates- and yoga-inspired moves to sculpt long, lean muscles and burn fat.

Trainer Chalene Johnson uses fluid movements, keeping you in constant motion to give  you a dynamic cardio workout that typical Pilates or yoga workouts lack.  It's low-impact so you won't have to jump around or strain your joints.  It's high-intensity so you get the fat-burning results of a more extreme program. It's designed to help you get an intensely defined, long and lean physique.  I was a bit skeptical that I wouldn't be able to get a good workout by just doing this program.  I've always been a cardio, sweat like a pig, person.  I don't feel like I'm actually getting a good workout unless, I can't breath and I look like I've just gotten out of a pool.  Well week 1 didn't disappoint.

Monday - Align:
Day 1 was all about learning the fundamentals of the movements.  This is Key!  Chalene takes you step by step through the most important and effective moves in the program to help you perfect your form and get the best results possible.  This way you'll have proper alignment so you'll be doing the moves properly and most effectively.  This made a world of difference for me.  I thought I knew how to do Downward Dog, Warrior, and Upward Dog...well I didn't.  As I was doing this DVD, I was sweating!   And I could feel the movements and guess what...I was sore the next day!

Tuesday - Define Lower Body:
Day 2 was focused on getting your sleekest and leanest legs ever as you lengthen and strengthen your entire lower body from your glutes and hamstrings to your calves.  This gave me the kind of workout I was use to with T25 Lower Body.  My legs felt like jello after I was done.  Again, I was sweating.  Best part was this workout was 20 mins!  There were  a few times I had to use the Modifier, which just proves that anyone can do this program, from the super fit, to the person just starting their fitness journey!  

Wednesday - Define Upper Body:
Day 3 uses your arms, specifically the triceps.  Tricep push-ups will become your best friend.  I lost track of how many I did in this workout.  I could feel my arm muscles being sculpted!  I've always wanted a defined and sculpted arm, and I think with this program, I'll finally achieve it.  Oh, have I mentioned that I was sweating with this workout too?  This may have just focused on the arms, but my core was on fire!  Lots of planks, so yea I'd say that my core is getting sculpted as well!  Yay!

Thursday - Sweat:
Day 4 yep, the workout says it all...the fast-paced cardio Yoga movements use your body-weight as resistance!  This is a total body workout.  I could feel myself getting stronger with each movement.  Who needs weights when you have your own body weight to lift?!  This might have been my favorite because it was a little faster paced then the others, or the fact that I just love the movements used in this workout.  Loving it so far!

Friday - Rest:
Day 5 I decided to go back through the align video to make sure I was perfecting the movements.  I actually did some movements outside by the lake!  It was July 4th and a beautiful day to be outside.  Check out some of my movements on Instagram @fitforlifebritt!  I love taking pictures to see how I can improve.  I noticed that my arm strength needs some work on a few of the movements.  If you don't have a mirror in your workout space.  Ask someone to take some pictures of you while you do the movements.  This way you can see where you need to improve!

Saturday - Define Lower Body:
Day 6 and we are back to doing Lower Body.  It was easier this time because I was remembering some of the moves and didn't have to look up at the screen as much.  I'm glad we did this one twice in the first week. I love working the booty!

Sunday - Define Upper Body:
Day 7 My arms felt stronger this time around.  Might have just been in my mind, but I felt like I actually knew what I was doing!

Loving this program so far.  I feel longer and leaner already.  My body doesn't hurt!  My knee feels great and I love this program even helps with your mindset.  I feel very calm after I complete the days workout.  I'm still following the 21 day meal plan, because it works for me.  My first week and I lost 2lbs and 2 inches from my waist!  I had hit a plateau and there is no doubt in my mind that this workout program is going to help me overcome that!  Looking forward to week 2!

If you're looking for something different and want to know if this program might be the right fit for you, Contact me Today!  I'd love to help you figure out the best program for you!

Your Friend in Fitness,
Brittany